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Record 957

Name: Record 957
Director: Germaine Dulac
Released: 1928
Duration: 6 min

Representation Score

3.5/10

Limited

1928

Director

Germaine Dulac

Runtime

6 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Germaine Dulac’s *Record 957* is an experimental film that prioritizes abstract rhythms over character-driven stories. Since it focuses on light and music, it doesn’t have the kind of characters needed to represent specific social identities. However, the film disrupts traditional cinematic structures by rejecting the usual reliance on human actors and social roles. This offers a progressive critique of the visual form itself. Ultimately, the film's diversity lies in its rejection of traditional cinematic norms, rather than in its cast or characters.

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Category Breakdown

Does Record 957 have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film doesn't show LGBTQ+ identities or relationships. It draws inspiration from Loie Fuller’s dances but doesn’t depict any specific LGBTQ+ characters or stories.

How does Record 957 portray gender?

Fair

Dulac avoids traditional gender roles by using light and movement instead of human actors. This creates a non-gendered sensory experience.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Record 957?

Minimal

Since the film focuses on abstract visuals and movements, it doesn't include any characters or ethnic representations. There is no racial diversity shown.

How does Record 957 represent religion and culture?

Good

The film challenges traditional Western cinema by focusing on personal experience rather than moral lessons. It suggests that cinema can exist independently of conventional storytelling.

Does Record 957 include disability representation?

Minimal

The abstract nature of the film means it doesn't show any disabled characters. It also doesn't use disability as a plot device or subject of ridicule.

Present on Screen

Avoids traditional gender roles by focusing on light and movement.
Challenges the typical 1920s cinematic structure through its abstract approach.
Prioritizes non-gendered sensory experiences over traditional storytelling.

Limited or Absent

Doesn't explicitly show LGBTQ+ identities or relationships.
Doesn't include human characters, so it can't represent racial or ethnic diversity.
Its abstract format prevents showing disabilities or neurodivergence.

Official Synopsis

Dulac’s three 1929 "abstract" films, Record 957, Αrabesques, and Themes and Variations, were the results of a long period of reflection by the filmmaker, who sought to create a "pure" or "integral" cinema that would capture the essence of the new medium and owe nothing to the other arts. Each of these three studies was designed to be played silent. The first one, Record 957, is conceived of as a "visual impression […] in listening to Frédéric Chopin's Preludes n. 5 and 6." Its title and its opening shot of lightplay on a spinning record not only announce the film's dominant cyclical motif, but also evoke one of the filmmaker’s major sources of inspiration in Loie Fuller's serpentine dances.

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