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If They Tell You I Fell

Name: If They Tell You I Fell
Director: Vicente Aranda
Released: 1989
Duration: 120 min

Representation Score

4.1/10

Fair

1989

Not Rated

Director

Vicente Aranda

Runtime

120 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Vicente Aranda’s drama serves as a psychological examination of societal constraints rather than a broad representation of diverse identities. It excels by overturning traditional romantic dynamics and embracing moral complexity. Despite a lack of significant LGBTQ+ or racial diversity, the film delves into the complexities of repressed themes. Its narrative structure challenges the era’s traditional values through its focus on destabilizing passion. Overall, the work prioritizes the exploration of the human condition and social rebellion over a wide range of identity representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does If They Tell You I Fell have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on a strong romantic relationship between a male and female protagonist. There are no characters representing LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight relationships.

How does If They Tell You I Fell portray gender?

Good

The movie challenges traditional gender roles by highlighting the emotional intensity and strong ability to act of the female lead. It portrays her as a complex and volatile character, challenging the idea of passive femininity.

How racially and ethnically diverse is If They Tell You I Fell?

Limited

The cast is mainly composed of white actors, reflecting the specific historical context of post-war Barcelona. The film emphasizes social and economic divisions rather than ethnic diversity.

How does If They Tell You I Fell represent religion and culture?

Good

The film uses moral ambiguity to criticize strict social norms of the post-war period. It blends reality with fantasy through stories called 'aventis,' focusing on subjective truths over institutional morality.

Does If They Tell You I Fell include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no significant depiction of visible or invisible disabilities in the narrative or character descriptions.

Present on Screen

Highlights a strong female lead with significant influence and emotional depth.
Uses moral ambiguity to challenge rigid social and political norms.
Explores intricate psychological realism and the impact of obsessive passion.

Limited or Absent

Could include more representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight characters.
Includes a predominantly white cast with limited multi-ethnic diversity.
Does not feature any significant portrayal of disabilities.

Official Synopsis

In the post Spanish civil war years, Catalan kids would sit in circles among the ruins and tell stories, known as "aventis" (the film's original title in Catalan, its original language). These tales mix war stories, local gossip, comic book characters, fantasy and real events. The "aventis" told in this film are told in flashback. In the mid 80s, 45 or so years after the age of the "aventis," a doctor and a nurse-nun (who grew up together, and now are co-workers in a hospital) identify the corpse of one of the main characters of the "aventis" of their childhood and adolescence. Besides the interesting flashbacks - a chronical of the Civil War in a "typical" Barcelona microcosm itself, the discovery of this body (belonging to someone long presumed dead) leads to other surprises and unresolved doubts, several decades later

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