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The Last Tycoon

Name: The Last Tycoon
Director: Wong Jing
Released: 2012
Duration: 118 min

Representation Score

3.6/10

Limited

2012

Director

Wong Jing

Runtime

118 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Last Tycoon operates as a conventional historical crime drama, emphasizing individual struggles for power and romantic nostalgia rather than challenging social hierarchies. It delves into the systemic instability of pre-war Shanghai, particularly the tension between criminal factions and imperialist expansion, but through a traditional lens of tragic heroism. Overall, the representation adheres to established genre conventions, focusing on traditional social roles and straight-centered structures.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Last Tycoon have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The story revolves around a traditional romantic relationship between Cheng and Qiu, with no representation of non-traditional gender identities or relationships.

How does The Last Tycoon portray gender?

Fair

The narrative follows a typical gender structure common in crime dramas, where Qiu's influence is primarily through her relationships with male characters.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Last Tycoon?

Fair

Set in historical Shanghai, the film explores ethnic and geopolitical tensions with the Japanese army, focusing on Chinese identities within a standard historical context.

How does The Last Tycoon represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film critiques systemic corruption and institutional power through the local secret service, but prioritizes individual ambition and personal fame over broader systemic issues.

Does The Last Tycoon include disability representation?

Minimal

The narrative does not include any characters dealing with physical, sensory, or neurodivergent conditions.

Present on Screen

Engages with the complex geopolitical and ethnic tensions of historical Shanghai.
Critiques systemic corruption and institutional power through its setting.

Limited or Absent

Relies on traditional gender hierarchies where female influence is tied to male characters.
Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender narratives.
Does not address disability or neurodivergent experiences within the character arcs.

Official Synopsis

Cheng, a young man who is set up by the chief of police, must leave the life he knows and Qiu, the woman he loves, to start again. After escaping prison Cheng quickly and violently moves his way up the ladder of Shanghais criminal underworld to become on the most powerful mob bosses in Shanghais history. But fame and notoriety take their toll when Cheng finds himself stuck between the looming Japanese army and the scheming local secret service. Matters are only made worse when he bumps into the love of his life QIU, along with her writer husband. Will love re-kindle in the dusk of an era?

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