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Beginning of the Serpentine Dance

Name: Beginning of the Serpentine Dance
Director: Segundo de Chomón
Released: 1908
Duration: 4 min

Representation Score

1.6/10

Minimal

1908

Director

Segundo de Chomón

Runtime

4 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

This early fantasy film highlights Segundo de Chomón's innovative trick photography techniques. Its narrative structure adheres closely to the social and cultural norms of 1908, emphasizing visual spectacle over varied character development. The film upholds traditional gender hierarchies, with men leading the supernatural plot and women serving as objects of the viewer’s attention. It lacks racial or LGBTQ+ representation, aligning with the homogenous standards of the era. The film focuses on the disruption of Western social order through supernatural means.

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Category Breakdown

Does Beginning of the Serpentine Dance have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on traditional heterosexual relationships through ballroom dancing couples. There is no indication of LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex relationships.

How does Beginning of the Serpentine Dance portray gender?

Limited

Men play key roles in driving the story, such as the spell-casting visitor. Women mainly appear as visual spectacles during the serpentine dance.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Beginning of the Serpentine Dance?

Minimal

The cast mirrors the uniform social standards of 1908 European cinema. There is no evidence of racial diversity or casting actors from non-Anglo-Saxon backgrounds.

How does Beginning of the Serpentine Dance represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story explores the breaking of social boundaries through a devil figure. It shifts from orderly social norms to a chaotic, supernatural scene.

Does Beginning of the Serpentine Dance include disability representation?

Minimal

No characters with visible or invisible disabilities are shown in this work.

Present on Screen

The film uses surrealism to challenge traditional domesticity and social norms.
The narrative examines the collapse of structured social orders through supernatural elements.

Limited or Absent

The film perpetuates traditional gender hierarchies by presenting women as visual spectacles.
The cast lacks racial and ethnic diversity, reflecting a singular cultural standard.
There is no depiction of LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional social structures.

Official Synopsis

In a living room, four contemporary couples from the time the film was shot dance a waltz under the direction of a violinist (Linder). They begin a minuet and their costumes change in a sudden. A man enters and seems interested in what he sees, casts a spell and everything disappears. Transforming himself into the devil, the visitor takes the violinist with him to hell, where he creates a large piece of silk out of a cauldron. The fabric unrolls, revealing a young woman in a silk dress that starts dancing the serpentine. While she dances, other women join in a synchronized ballet, before all of them vanish into bursts of flames.

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