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The Big Night

Name: The Big Night
Director: Mauro Bolognini
Released: 1959
Duration: 95 min

Representation Score

1.7/10

Minimal

1959

Director

Mauro Bolognini

Runtime

95 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Big Night functions as a period-specific social drama that emphasizes class and gendered power struggles. While it lacks modern multi-layered breadth, it offers meaningful critiques of traditional dominance. The film's strength lies in its depiction of women's ability to drive the story, where women outsmart their male counterparts. However, the narrative is limited by the era's homogeneity, offering almost no racial or LGBTQ+ representation. Ultimately, the film serves as a study of urban friction and socioeconomic hierarchies rather than a diverse ensemble piece.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Big Night have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or scenarios involving non-straight relationships. The interpersonal dynamics focus on conventional social interactions between male characters and female streetwalkers.

How does The Big Night portray gender?

Fair

Female characters play a significant role in driving the story by outmaneuvering the male protagonists. This challenges traditional power dynamics and highlights women's ability to take control.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Big Night?

Minimal

The cast is ethnically uniform, reflecting the localized social reality of 1950s Italy. There is no indication of diverse ethnic backgrounds or race-bent casting.

How does The Big Night represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative explores socioeconomic struggles through the lens of the streetwalker class. It examines the tension between individual desires and the social order of urban Rome.

Does The Big Night include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of visible or invisible disabilities within the narrative.

Present on Screen

Female characters play a significant role in driving the story by outmaneuvering the male protagonists.
The film provides a nuanced critique of social structures and class distinctions through its urban setting.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks racial and ethnic diversity, reflecting a very localized and homogeneous social scope.
There is no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight social frameworks.

Official Synopsis

The exploits of three young Roman criminals are chronicled in this socially conscious drama. The young men commit petty crimes all day, beginning with arms theft, leading to an encounter with three streetwalkers. After their pleasure, the boys try to cheat the hookers, but the ladies are smarter than that and have stolen their cash ahead of time. It's back to the city for the boys, where they continue their destructive games...

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