You are here:

The Doll

Name: The Doll
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Released: 1919
Duration: 66 min

Representation Score

3.3/10

Limited

1919

Not Rated

Director

Ernst Lubitsch

Runtime

66 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film functions as a period-specific comedy of manners that subtly challenges social archetypes. While the protagonist's temperament suggests a departure from rugged masculinity, the narrative remains largely bound by the social conventions of its era. Strength lies in the subversion of gender hierarchies, as the female character uses wit and deception to control the narrative outcome. However, the film lacks systemic breadth, operating within a homogeneous social framework and relying on clichés of inheritance and romantic deception rather than exploring broader multi-layered or diverse identities.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Doll have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The protagonist is described as an effete young man, suggesting a departure from traditional masculine archetypes. However, the film lacks clear evidence of specific LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex intimacy.

How does The Doll portray gender?

Fair

The female lead drives the plot through a clever deception, acting as the architect of the story's resolution. This use of disguise grants her a significant role in driving the story and intellect over the male protagonist.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Doll?

Minimal

The film appears to focus on a homogeneous social setting typical of 1919 German cinema. There is no evidence of diverse ethnic identities or non-white casting within the narrative.

How does The Doll represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story critiques the transactional nature of marriage and inheritance through fantasy and artifice. It prioritizes individual wit and social maneuvering over a deep systemic or religious critique.

Does The Doll include disability representation?

Minimal

No visible or invisible disabilities are portrayed as central to the character arcs or the progression of the plot.

Present on Screen

The female lead demonstrates a significant role in driving the story and intellect by orchestrating the central deception.
The protagonist's characterization offers a subtle disruption of conventional, rugged masculine archetypes.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks ethnic and racial diversity, focusing instead on a homogeneous social setting.
The film does not explore non-straight-centered identities or systemic social critiques beyond individual wit.

Official Synopsis

The misadventures of an effete young man who must get married in order to inherit a fortune. He opts to purchase a remarkably lifelike doll and marry it instead, not realizing that the doll is actually the dollmaker’s flesh-and-blood daughter in disguise.

How are these scores produced? →