You are here:

The Art of Crying

Name: The Art of Crying
Director: Peter Schønau Fog
Released: 2007
Duration: 106 min

Representation Score

6.7/10

Good

2007

Director

Peter Schønau Fog

Runtime

106 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film excels at deconstructing traditional social archetypes, particularly regarding gender and the sanctity of the nuclear family. By presenting a dysfunctional domestic unit, it avoids the sanitized clichés of standard dramas. However, the work lacks significant representation in terms of racial and LGBTQ+ diversity. The setting is historically localized to rural Denmark, which limits the scope of the narrative. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its psychological realism and its refusal to uphold idealized versions of parenthood or social order.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Art of Crying have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not include any visible LGBTQ+ identities or characters who challenge the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender. The story focuses solely on the domestic crisis within a traditional family unit.

How does The Art of Crying portray gender?

Fair

The story challenges traditional masculine roles by showing an unstable father. The child, Allan, takes on responsibilities usually handled by adults.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Art of Crying?

Limited

Set in 1970s rural Denmark, the film reflects the demographic homogeneity of that time. There is no indication of a multi-ethnic cast or diverse representation.

How does The Art of Crying represent religion and culture?

Good

The film challenges Western ideals by presenting the family as a site of trauma rather than strength. It portrays a moral relativism where survival is prioritized over traditional ethics.

Does The Art of Crying include disability representation?

Good

Mental health is central through the father's instability. The film avoids clichés by presenting mental illness as a disruptive reality rather than a tool for moral growth.

Present on Screen

Shifts the focus of ability to act from the father to the child, challenging traditional gender roles.
Offers a realistic, non-idealized portrayal of mental health and its impact on the family.
Challenges conventional Western notions of a stable, moral family unit.

Limited or Absent

Lacks visible LGBTQ+ representation or characters who challenge the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.
Reflects a high degree of demographic homogeneity with minimal racial or ethnic diversity.
Focuses on a culturally specific, localized framework that limits the multi-layered breadth of the narrative.

Official Synopsis

Life is not easy for 11-year-old Allan living in South Jutland during the early 1970s. His mentally unstable father frequently threatens suicide and his mother has long since given up. It's up to Allan to keep the family together. When a rival family threatens his father's livelihood, Allan starts committing atrocious acts.

How are these scores produced? →