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The Smile of the Virgin

Name: The Smile of the Virgin
Director: Roberto Rodríguez
Released: 1958
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

2.4/10

Limited

1958

Director

Roberto Rodríguez

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film functions as a traditional period drama that upholds established social and religious hierarchies. It prioritizes institutional adherence and moral conformity over narrative subversion. While the Mexican setting provides cultural specificity, the story lacks complexity in reflecting multiple aspects of diversity. Character development is tied to traditional developmental expectations and religious devotion. Ultimately, the film upholds the social norms of the late 1950s rather than deconstructing them.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Smile of the Virgin have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any characters with non-traditional gender identities. It focuses on traditional family and religious themes without challenging the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does The Smile of the Virgin portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on a young female protagonist, but her journey is defined by traditional expectations. Roles such as the grandmother and the Virgin Mary reinforce conventional feminine ideals.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Smile of the Virgin?

Fair

Set in Mexico, the film offers a localized perspective centered around Mexican landmarks. However, the presence of a servant highlights a rigid, era-specific class structure.

How does The Smile of the Virgin represent religion and culture?

Limited

The plot is deeply rooted in singular religious morality and divine intervention. It emphasizes Catholic institutions as the primary moral guide for the characters.

Does The Smile of the Virgin include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no mention of characters with physical, mental, or sensory disabilities within the narrative.

Present on Screen

Provides a localized, non-Anglo-Saxon perspective through its Mexican setting.
Centers the narrative on a young female protagonist, Marita.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender narratives.
Reinforces traditional religious and social hierarchies without critique.
Fails to include characters with physical or mental disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Marita, a charming little girl, lives in the country with her grandmother. Her best friend is a modest servant, Anselmo, who almost everyday takes the girl to visit the church known as "Guadalupe's Basilica", an important cathedral in Mexico City, where she discovers Virgin Guadalupe and the legend about her apparitions in that place. Marita doesn't behave properly in school, and her teacher always has a punishment for the girl. She doesn't like school, and she doesn't want to return to school anymore. Besides, Marita's worried about her animals, like a cow who doesn't produce milk. The girl asks many miracles of Virgin Guadalupe, one of them is to not have to go to school. During a visit to the Basilica, Marita hears the Virgin's voice, and this could be the beginning of a responsible life for the girl, like to study and to be a good child.

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