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This Sweet Sickness

Name: This Sweet Sickness
Director: Claude Miller
Released: 1977
Duration: 102 min

Representation Score

2.3/10

Limited

1977

Director

Claude Miller

Runtime

102 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Claude Miller's thriller is a focused psychological study centered on a male protagonist's descent into obsession. The film relies heavily on traditional formulas, emphasizing unrequited love and voyeurism within a straight-focused context. While the film delves deeply into the protagonist's mental state, it lacks complexity in representing multiple aspects of identity. The female character serves mainly as a catalyst for the man's unraveling rather than as a fully developed individual with her own choices. Overall, the film reflects the specific historical and geographic context of 1970s France without attempting to challenge social norms or include diverse perspectives.

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Category Breakdown

Does This Sweet Sickness have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film operates within a framework that assumes everyone is straight. The plot revolves around a man's infatuation with a married woman.

How does This Sweet Sickness portray gender?

Limited

The film portrays a significant imbalance in how men and women are represented. The male protagonist's perspective dominates the story, while the female lead is often seen as an object of his obsession rather than a person with her own goals and decisions.

How racially and ethnically diverse is This Sweet Sickness?

Minimal

The cast is predominantly made up of people reflecting the demographics of provincial France. There is no indication of racial or ethnic diversity in the narrative.

How does This Sweet Sickness represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story follows a conventional European storytelling style, focusing on individual psychological struggles rather than critiquing Western institutions or cultural norms.

Does This Sweet Sickness include disability representation?

Limited

The film explores the protagonist's mental instability and obsessive behavior. However, these elements primarily serve to build tension in the thriller genre rather than offering a nuanced look at neurodivergence.

Present on Screen

Offers a detailed psychological study of a protagonist's descent into obsession.

Limited or Absent

has little control over what happens to them for female characters, who often serve as passive objects of male longing.
Does not provide diverse racial or ethnic representation within the cast.
Uses mental instability as a plot device rather than a nuanced exploration of neurodivergence.
Operates within a narrow, straight-focused romantic framework.

Official Synopsis

Industrious accountant David Martinaud claims to be visiting his parents every weekend, but it's merely a cover for the labor-intensive refurbishing of his country cottage. The reason for David's secrecy is that his childhood crush, Lise, lives nearby, and, although she's married, he still believes they'll get together. His devotion to the idea borders on mania, and, when Lise's husband is accidentally killed, he quickly spirals out of control.

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