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Guardian of the Palace

Name: Guardian of the Palace
Director: Wei Yuhai
Released: 2020
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

3.0/10

Limited

2020

Director

Wei Yuhai

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Guardian of the Palace is a traditional fantasy adventure that emphasizes a quest-driven narrative. Its main strength lies in its non-Western setting, which diverges from the typical Anglo-Saxon fantasy clichés. While the film features women in prominent roles, it does not delve deeply into the complexities of intersecting identities. Instead, it adheres to conventional patterns of conflict and resolution. Overall, Guardian of the Palace operates as a standard action film, offering some gender and cultural diversity but lacking specific representation of LGBTQ+ identities or disability.

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Category Breakdown

Does Guardian of the Palace have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The story centers around a traditional quest structure without addressing non-cisgender identities or same-sex relationships.

How does Guardian of the Palace portray gender?

Fair

Women play key roles in high-stakes action and treasure hunting, suggesting a move away from purely patriarchal adventure stories.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Guardian of the Palace?

Good

Set in a historical Chinese context, the film breaks away from the usual Western-centric fantasy settings.

How does Guardian of the Palace represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative follows a classic hero's journey focused on communal survival and the fight against warlordism.

Does Guardian of the Palace include disability representation?

Minimal

A plague serves as a plot device without exploring disability issues or showing characters managing disabilities.

Present on Screen

The inclusion of women in the central adventuring party highlights gendered ability to act.
The non-Western, historical Chinese setting challenges typical Western-centric fantasy conventions.

Limited or Absent

The narrative does not explicitly represent LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender dynamics.
The film misses an opportunity to explore disability representation or ability to act through its plague plot.
The story follows traditional narrative structures without challenging systemic or social hierarchies.

Official Synopsis

'Guardian of the Palace' tells the story of a time when a plague spreads in Heishun (Blackwater) Town during the warring warlords, and Tianya, Wunian and Jiujiu set out on a treasure hunt to find the Golden Moon Gem that cures the plague. The warlord Feng Pei Chuan was trailing them and tried to take the gems for himself, but Tianya and the others managed to subdue Feng Pei Chuan, reclaim the gems and save the people.

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