You are here:

The Tale of Ruby Rose

Name: The Tale of Ruby Rose
Director: Roger Scholes
Released: 1988
Duration: 100 min

Representation Score

5.1/10

Fair

1988

Director

Roger Scholes

Runtime

100 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

This film is a character-driven psychological drama that centers on the internal, subjective experience of its female protagonist. It effectively explores individual ability to act and the dismantling of rigid social structures through personal mythology. However, the narrative is confined to a specific historical and geographical context, lacking racial and LGBTQ+ diversity. The primary cast is predominantly of European descent, and there is no LGBTQ+ representation. The story ultimately resolves by aligning with traditional family dynamics.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Tale of Ruby Rose have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or themes. The main storyline revolves around a traditional marriage between Ruby and Henry.

How does The Tale of Ruby Rose portray gender?

Fair

Ruby Rose is a central female character whose psychological journey drives the plot. However, the story ends with a reconciliation involving a patriarchal father figure.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Tale of Ruby Rose?

Fair

The cast is predominantly made up of characters of European descent, reflecting the 1933 Tasmanian setting. There is no significant racial diversity in the narrative.

How does The Tale of Ruby Rose represent religion and culture?

Good

The film delves into individualized spirituality through Ruby's personal folklore. It highlights the tension between personal beliefs and the pressures of a judgmental traditional family.

Does The Tale of Ruby Rose include disability representation?

Fair

Ruby's intense fear of the dark indicates a possible psychological condition or neurodivergence. This mental state serves as the primary driver for the story.

Present on Screen

Focuses on a female protagonist's internal psychological journey.
Offers a nuanced exploration of individualized spirituality and personal folklore.
Provides a critique of rigid social and familial structures.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic diversity among the main characters.
Does not include LGBTQ+ representation or non-straight themes.
Relies on reconciliation with patriarchal figures for narrative closure.

Official Synopsis

The year is 1933. Ruby Rose (Melita Jurisic) is an Australian woman living with her Welsh immigrant husband Henry (Chris Haywood) in the Tasmanian highlands. Cut off from her superjudgmental family, for whom Henry had once worked as a humble farm hand, Ruby remains isolated in her tiny house. Superstitiously terrified of the dark, she begins developing her own folklore about the inky blackness that surrounds her each night; this folklore eventually develops into Ruby's own personal religion, created to ward off the evils that she imagines lurk in every corner. Only by venturing out of her house and rekindling her relationship with her embittered father is Ruby able to exorcise her fears. Almost hypnotic in its stark beauty, Tale of Ruby Rose is proof enough that writer/director Roger Scholes deserves to be far better known.

How are these scores produced? →