You are here:

Ballad of a Gunman

Name: Ballad of a Gunman
Director: Alfio Caltabiano
Released: 1967
Duration: 98 min

Representation Score

3.0/10

Limited

1967

Director

Alfio Caltabiano

Runtime

98 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Ballad of a Gunman operates as a standard genre exploration of masculine conflict. It finds its strength in deconstructing the rigid moralism of the traditional Western by focusing on criminal protagonists and moral ambiguity. However, the film lacks multi-layered complexity. The narrative is heavily centered on male-driven power struggles, leaving little room for diverse perspectives or underrepresented identities. While the Spaghetti Western setting allows for some ethnic blending through international casting, the film does not demonstrate intentional or actively leading representation of diverse groups.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Ballad of a Gunman have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on traditional masculine dynamics between outlaws and lawmen. There are no LGBTQ+ characters or narratives addressing non-cisgender identities.

How does Ballad of a Gunman portray gender?

Limited

The plot is driven by a male-dominated power struggle involving brothers, killers, and an ex-sheriff. No women's ability to drive the story or subversion of gender hierarchies is present.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Ballad of a Gunman?

Fair

As a Spaghetti Western, the film likely uses international casting to blend European actors into frontier archetypes. However, there is no specific evidence of actively leading characters of color.

How does Ballad of a Gunman represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative disrupts traditional Christian morality by centering on criminal enterprises and moral relativism. It replaces clear-cut hero/villain dichotomies with complex, morally ambiguous figures.

Does Ballad of a Gunman include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the inclusion of characters with visible or invisible disabilities within the film's narrative.

Present on Screen

Disrupts traditional Western moralism by focusing on morally ambiguous criminal protagonists.
Uses the Spaghetti Western genre to move away from rigid Hollywood hero/villain archetypes.

Limited or Absent

Lacks women's ability to drive the story and representation within the central power struggle.
Provides no visible or invisible representation of characters with disabilities.
Fails to include LGBTQ+ characters or narratives addressing non-cisgender identities.

Official Synopsis

Instead of fighting over newly gained money from a coach-robbery, two gangster-brothers (El Bedoja and Chiuchi) decide to rob a bank together. But Martinez, a gangster-coward, is successfully questioned by Nigros (a clad-in-black gangster-killer who collects the money) and Rocco (a righteous ex-sheriff who doesn't and shows off even more skill in using his pistol) on their plans.

How are these scores produced? →