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Help Me to Live

Name: Help Me to Live
Director: José A. Ferreyra
Released: 1936
Duration: 72 min

Representation Score

3.4/10

Limited

1936

Director

José A. Ferreyra

Runtime

72 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Ayúdame a vivir reflects the social, religious, and gender norms of 1930s Argentina. The narrative emphasizes conventional melodrama and established social hierarchies, reinforcing the status quo of the time. The film employs well-known clichés of the era, such as the authority of male family members and the use of illness to evoke emotional responses. These elements uphold the societal norms of the period. While historically important for early Argentine cinema, the film does not challenge the prevailing social or cultural structures of its setting.

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Category Breakdown

Does Help Me to Live have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on a traditional romantic relationship between Luisa and Julio, typical of the 1930s. There is no indication of diverse sexual or gender identities.

How does Help Me to Live portray gender?

Limited

Luisa's role is constrained by her brother's authority and her own health issues. Male characters dominate roles of control or romantic pursuit, upholding traditional gender dynamics.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Help Me to Live?

Fair

The film likely mirrors the ethnic demographics of 1930s Argentina. There is no clear evidence of diverse casting or subversion of racial stereotypes.

How does Help Me to Live represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story unfolds in a Catholic boarding school environment, adhering closely to traditional Western and Christian moral values.

Does Help Me to Live include disability representation?

Limited

The protagonist's illness serves as a central plot device. It is unclear whether the illness enhances character autonomy or merely fuels melodrama.

Present on Screen

Offers a foundational perspective on early Argentine cinematic storytelling and melodrama.

Limited or Absent

Does not include diverse sexual or gender identities.
Limits women's ability to drive the story through male authority.
Uses illness primarily as a melodramatic device.
Adheres strictly to traditional religious and moral frameworks.

Official Synopsis

While studying at a Catholic boarding school, the young Luisa meets a boy, Julio, who talks to her from the street and through the gate. However, the girl's arrogant older brother removes her from the establishment and takes her to live in her family house. The beginning of love between Luisa and Julio is made even more difficult by what seems to be the beginning of a disease in her.

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