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Crossroads

Name: Crossroads
Director: Curtis Bernhardt
Released: 1938
Duration: 69 min

Representation Score

1.1/10

Minimal

1938

Director

Curtis Bernhardt

Runtime

69 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Crossroads is a traditional 1938 drama that follows the social and narrative conventions of its time. While it does not challenge these norms, it centers a female protagonist, which slightly deviates from male-dominated narratives. However, the film remains focused on a homogeneous society, lacking racial diversity and any representation of LGBTQ+ identities or disabilities. It emphasizes traditional social hierarchies and Western values, without addressing broader systemic issues.

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Category Breakdown

Does Crossroads have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any visible or implied LGBTQ themes. It stays within the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does Crossroads portray gender?

Fair

Hedy Lamarr plays a central female character navigating a serious moral dilemma. However, her role is defined through traditional melodramatic stories.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Crossroads?

Minimal

The cast is predominantly white, reflecting the typical casting practices of the era. There are no non-white characters.

How does Crossroads represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story focuses on Western legal and social order, without critiquing capitalism or religious institutions.

Does Crossroads include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not depict any physical or neurodivergent disabilities. Characters operate within normal physical and cognitive standards.

Present on Screen

The film places a female protagonist at the center of the main conflict and narrative tension.

Limited or Absent

The cast lacks racial and ethnic diversity, reflecting a uniform social landscape.
There is no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth characters.
The story does not depict physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
The narrative reinforces traditional social hierarchies without offering systemic critique.

Official Synopsis

A wealthy industrialist, Roger de Vetheuil, married, feels assured of aging in peace. Then appears a blackmailer who accuses him of being a usurper, actually called Jean Pelletier, a mobster well known to police. Vetheuil, judging himself slandered, refuses to listen to his tormentor and goes to the police. The man speaks. The scandal is public soon ...

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