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The Smile of the Virgin

The Smile of the Virgin

1958

Director

Roberto Rodríguez

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

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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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

3.4/10

Limited

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film lacks any visible engagement with non-cisnormative identities. The narrative focuses on traditional familial and religious themes without challenging heteronormativity.

Gender Representation

Fair

While the story centers on a young female protagonist, her arc is framed by traditional expectations. The roles of the grandmother and the Virgin reinforce conventional femininity.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Fair

Set in Mexico, the film provides a localized perspective centered on Mexican landmarks. However, the presence of a servant suggests a rigid, era-specific class hierarchy.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Limited

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

Disability Representation

Minimal

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

Strengths

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

Areas for Improvement

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

AI Analysis

The film operates as a traditional period drama that reinforces 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 intersectional complexity. The character development is tied to traditional developmental expectations and religious devotion. Ultimately, the film serves to uphold the social norms of the late 1950s rather than deconstructing them.

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