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The Shepherd of the Hills

Name: The Shepherd of the Hills
Director: Henry Hathaway
Released: 1941
Duration: 98 min

Representation Score

0.4/10

Minimal

1941

Director

Henry Hathaway

Runtime

98 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film is a traditional drama that reinforces established social, racial, and gender hierarchies through a lens of moral absolutism. It prioritizes the preservation of traditional Western social structures and offers little disruption of conventional cultural norms. The work stabilizes the existing social order without critiquing it.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Shepherd of the Hills have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on conventional courtship and does not depict non-cisgender identities or same-sex relationships.

How does The Shepherd of the Hills portray gender?

Limited

Female characters serve as moral anchors or romantic ideals rather than having their own independent roles. They provide emotional support but do not significantly challenge the status quo.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Shepherd of the Hills?

Minimal

The cast is predominantly white and rural, with a focus on the Ozark Mountains' inhabitants. There is a noticeable lack of racial or ethnic diversity.

How does The Shepherd of the Hills represent religion and culture?

Limited

The narrative centers on Christian morality and spiritual redemption, emphasizing social cohesion through moral reformation.

Does The Shepherd of the Hills include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not prominently feature physical or neurodivergent disabilities as central narrative elements or character traits.

Present on Screen

The film provides a clear, traditional narrative structure rooted in established genre conventions.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks racial and ethnic diversity, presenting a highly homogeneous community.
Female characters lack ability to act, serving primarily as idealized maternal or romantic figures.
The story offers no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender characters.
There is a lack of representation regarding physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Young Matt Matthews, an Ozark Mountains moonshiner, hates the father he has never seen, who apparently deserted Matt's mother and left her to die. His obsession contributes to the hatred rampant in the mountains. However, the arrival of a stranger, Daniel Howitt, begins to positively affect the mountain people, who learn to shed their hatred under his gentle influence.

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