You are here:

The Guard

Name: The Guard
Director: Ali Özgentürk
Released: 1985
Duration: 101 min

Representation Score

5.6/10

Fair

1985

Director

Ali Özgentürk

Runtime

101 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Ali Özgentürk’s drama offers a somber critique of rigid social roles and the psychological toll of institutionalized duty. The film succeeds in dismantling the myth of the competent patriarchal provider by portraying Murtaza as a deluded and unstable figure. While the film provides a strong social critique of traditional authority, it lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities. The female characters, though central to the tragedy, are largely defined by their silence and suffering under domestic oppression. Ultimately, the film functions as a deconstruction of the stable, traditional home. It prioritizes a tragic examination of systemic dysfunction over the reinforcement of conventional social norms.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Guard have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film adheres to a traditional domestic framework without exploring non-straight identities or stories that challenge the assumption that everyone is straight.

How does The Guard portray gender?

Fair

Murtaza’s incompetence challenges the stereotype of the stable male authority figure. However, the wife and daughters are shown in positions of suffering and silence, reflecting systemic oppression rather than women's ability to drive the story.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Guard?

Fair

As a Turkish production, the film provides a localized perspective. It does not specifically highlight ethnic diversity among the cast, maintaining a baseline for its cultural context.

How does The Guard represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative critiques traditional institutions by framing the 'duty' of a security guard as a catalyst for tragedy. It deconstructs the idealized family unit as a site of dysfunction.

Does The Guard include disability representation?

Fair

The film explores psychological instability through Murtaza’s psychotic delusions. However, the portrayal risks using mental health as a tragic engine rather than providing a nuanced exploration of neurodivergence.

Present on Screen

Challenges the stereotype of the competent male authority figure through Murtaza's psychological instability.
Provides a localized Turkish perspective that moves away from Western-centric cinematic norms.
Offers a sharp critique of traditional institutions and the sanctity of idealized family units.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of non-straight identities or LGBTQ+ narratives.
Female characters are depicted with limited ability to act, often relegated to roles of silent suffering.
The portrayal of psychological instability risks leaning into dangerous clichés rather than nuanced neurodivergent exploration.

Official Synopsis

In this film that wavers unsteadily between a comedy and a tragedy, Murtaza (Mujdat Gezen) is a deluded security guard whose fanatical reverence for "duty" verges on the psychotic. He is incapable of seeing himself for what he is -- and as a consequence he is often the unwitting and unknowing brunt of jokes. His wife and daughters are painfully aware of his shortcomings, but they generally suffer in silence. One of the daughters ends up working in the factory to help the family out financially, and when Murtaza finds her sleeping on the job one night he hits her so hard she eventually dies from the blow. Though that is not the end of it, by any means.

How are these scores produced? →