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One Sings, the Other Doesn't

Name: One Sings, the Other Doesn't
Director: Agnès Varda
Released: 1977
Duration: 122 min

Representation Score

6.5/10

Good

1977

Not Rated

Director

Agnès Varda

Runtime

122 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Agnès Varda’s work is a landmark in feminist cinema, successfully challenging traditional gender roles by centering female subjectivity. The film excels in its portrayal of gender, presenting women as autonomous agents navigating reproductive rights and professional identities. While the film is culturally sophisticated in its critique of social norms, it lacks racial and ethnic diversity, reflecting a narrow socio-political focus on 1970s France. This limitation prevents a higher overall score despite the film's progressive thematic depth. Ultimately, the film serves as a powerful exploration of identity and liberation, prioritizing lived experience over institutional doctrine.

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Category Breakdown

Does One Sings, the Other Doesn't have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film examines female sexuality and intimacy through a lens of personal freedom. It avoids clichéd stereotypes and focuses on the autonomy of desire and self-discovery.

How does One Sings, the Other Doesn't portray gender?

Excellent

Agnès Varda centers the narrative on women's autonomy and bodily control. Characters are defined by their intelligence and social contributions rather than their relationships to men.

How racially and ethnically diverse is One Sings, the Other Doesn't?

Fair

The story focuses on the socioeconomic dynamics of 1970s France. It lacks a multi-ethnic cast, prioritizing the era's specific class and social trajectories.

How does One Sings, the Other Doesn't represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film engages with moral relativism by presenting diverse life choices without a traditional moral compass. It critiques social institutions through the lens of individual experience.

Does One Sings, the Other Doesn't include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no significant evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the narrative.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender hierarchies and patriarchal expectations.
Emphasizes female autonomy, bodily control, and professional independence.
Explores moral relativism and personal liberation.

Limited or Absent

Limited racial and ethnic diversity within the cast and setting.
No representation of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

The intertwined lives of two women in 1970s France, set against the progress of the women's movement in which Agnes Varda was involved. Pomme and Suzanne meet when Pomme helps Suzanne obtain an abortion after a third pregnancy which she cannot afford. They lose contact but meet again ten years later. Pomme has become an unconventional singer, Suzanne a serious community worker - despite the contrast they remain friends and share in the various dramas of each others' lives, in the process affirming their different female identities.

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