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The Duke of Burgundy

Name: The Duke of Burgundy
Director: Peter Strickland
Released: 2015
Duration: 104 min

Representation Score

5.1/10

Fair

2015

Not Rated

Director

Peter Strickland

Runtime

104 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Duke of Burgundy is a specialized work that excels in its examination of queer identity and gendered power. By focusing on a lesbian relationship and treating gender roles as performative, it offers a sophisticated look at non-traditional human experiences. However, the film's narrow focus limits its broader social scope. The lack of racial and ethnic diversity creates a homogeneous environment that keeps the narrative strictly insular. Ultimately, the film succeeds as a progressive character study, even if its aesthetic isolation prevents a more diverse representation of the human experience.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Duke of Burgundy have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film focuses deeply on a lesbian relationship, using power exchanges to explore the complexities of same-sex desire.

How does The Duke of Burgundy portray gender?

Excellent

It subverts traditional gender roles by examining fluid power dynamics between two women. Gender roles like mistress and maid are seen as performative rather than fixed social positions.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Duke of Burgundy?

Minimal

The cast is predominantly homogeneous, maintaining a highly focused and insular aesthetic. The story does not engage with racial or ethnic diversity.

How does The Duke of Burgundy represent religion and culture?

Good

The film emphasizes individual psychological truth over traditional societal or religious morality. Unconventional lifestyles are portrayed as complex personal journeys rather than moral failings.

Does The Duke of Burgundy include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not depict physical or neurodivergent disabilities. However, it explores intense sensory states without making disability a central theme.

Present on Screen

Offers a nuanced and profound exploration of queer intimacy and same-sex desire.
Subverts patriarchal structures through fluid, negotiated power dynamics between female protagonists.
Prioritizes subjective psychological truths over institutional validation.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic diversity, resulting in a predominantly homogeneous cast.
Maintains a highly insular aesthetic that avoids broader cultural engagement.

Official Synopsis

Day in and day out, lovers Cynthia and Evelyn enact an elaborate sadomasochistic fantasy as mistress and maid. But as their ritual of domination and submission begins to turn stale, Cynthia yearns for something more conventional, while Evelyn tries to push their taboos even further.

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