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The Color of Money

Name: The Color of Money
Director: Martin Scorsese
Released: 1986
Duration: 119 min

Representation Score

1.0/10

Minimal

1986

Director

Martin Scorsese

Runtime

119 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Scorsese’s character study focuses on the predatory mechanics of the professional pool circuit. The film prioritizes a hyper-masculine subculture, centered on individualistic ambition and the complex ethics of the hustle. While the film offers a sophisticated look at moral relativism, it lacks demographic breadth. The social world is defined by conventional masculine bonding and a homogeneous cast that reinforces traditional hierarchies. Ultimately, the narrative's narrow focus on a specific urban subculture results in a lack of characters who reflect more than one aspect of diversity, prioritizing the transactional ethics of the game over a diverse social landscape.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Color of Money have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film adheres to a strict assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender. There are no depictions of non-straight or non-cisgender identities, nor are there narratives that challenge traditional sexual orientations.

How does The Color of Money portray gender?

Limited

The narrative is dominated by male competition and mentorship. Female characters are mostly peripheral, serving as atmospheric elements rather than active drivers of the plot.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Color of Money?

Minimal

The film portrays a relatively homogeneous social environment. The central cast and settings emphasize a white, male-dominated demographic with little depth in terms of different backgrounds.

How does The Color of Money represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story explores moral relativism through the concept of the 'hustle.' It deconstructs the idea of fair play, framing deception and scamming as essential professional identities.

Does The Color of Money include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not feature any prominent characters with visible or invisible disabilities. Disability is not used as a central narrative device.

Present on Screen

The film provides a sophisticated exploration of moral relativism through the professional hustle.
It successfully deconstructs conventional notions of fair play and traditional social morality.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks gender diversity, relegating women to secondary, atmospheric roles.
The cast is largely homogeneous, lacking racial and ethnic depth within the subculture.
The film operates within a strictly straight-centered framework with no LGBTQ+ representation.

Official Synopsis

Former pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson decides he wants to return to the game by taking a pupil. He meets talented but green Vincent Lauria and proposes a partnership. As they tour pool halls, Eddie teaches Vincent the tricks of scamming, but he eventually grows frustrated with Vincent's showboat antics, leading to an argument and a falling-out. Eddie takes up playing again and soon crosses paths with Vincent as an opponent.

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