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Wooden Crosses

Name: Wooden Crosses
Director: Raymond Bernard
Released: 1932
Duration: 110 min

Representation Score

1.6/10

Minimal

1932

Not Rated

Director

Raymond Bernard

Runtime

110 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Raymond Bernard’s historical drama centers on the collective tragedy of the Western Front, focusing on the human cost of industrial warfare. The film adheres to the social norms of 1914, emphasizing patriotism and religious communalism. It does not challenge the era's racial, gendered, or social norms. Ultimately, the film is a traditional work of historical realism, capturing the scale of loss through a lens that prioritizes national suffering and traditional social structures.

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Category Breakdown

Does Wooden Crosses have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows traditional romantic and family structures of early 20th-century France. It does not depict any non-traditional gender identities or same-sex relationships.

How does Wooden Crosses portray gender?

Limited

Men are shown in the active, violent environment of the trenches, while women are confined to domestic spaces of mourning. The film upholds traditional gender roles and hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Wooden Crosses?

Minimal

The cast is ethnically uniform, representing the predominantly white, agrarian population of 1914 France. It lacks diverse ethnic perspectives.

How does Wooden Crosses represent religion and culture?

Limited

Church institutions play a central role in communal mourning. The film highlights shared national suffering within the existing social order.

Does Wooden Crosses include disability representation?

Minimal

Physical and psychological trauma are used to show the harsh reality of war. These elements serve thematic purposes without delving into the nuanced experiences of disability.

Present on Screen

Offers a profound, humanistic critique of the mechanical and systemic horrors of industrial warfare.
Provides a historically accurate depiction of the collective experience of a nation in crisis.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of diverse ethnic perspectives or non-white populations.
Reinforces traditional gender roles by confining women to domestic and emotional spheres.
Does not explore nuanced lived experiences of disability or neurodivergence beyond physical trauma.
Provides no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender structures.

Official Synopsis

The young and patriotic student Demachy joins the French army in 1914 to defend his country. But he and his comrades soon experience the terrifying, endless trench war in Champagne, where more and more wooden crosses have to be erected for this cannon fodder.

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