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The Ballad of Cable Hogue

Name: The Ballad of Cable Hogue
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Released: 1970
Duration: 121 min

Representation Score

1.9/10

Minimal

1970

Director

Sam Peckinpah

Runtime

121 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film serves as a revisionist Western that prioritizes thematic exploration over diverse representation. It focuses on the tension between individualist frontier life and the expanding structures of modernity. While the film lacks representation of multiple aspects of identity, it achieves progressive value through its skepticism of institutional expansion. It rejects the idealized Western hero for a morally ambiguous protagonist. Ultimately, the narrative delves into the trade-offs of progress and the erosion of traditional ways of life during the transition from stagecoaches to automobiles.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Ballad of Cable Hogue have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows a traditional framework that assumes everyone is straight or cisgender. There are no visible depictions of LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex relationships.

How does The Ballad of Cable Hogue portray gender?

Fair

The story is mainly driven by the male protagonist's goals. While the female lead has some emotional impact, the film emphasizes rugged masculinity and domestic stability.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Ballad of Cable Hogue?

Minimal

The cast is mostly white, reflecting the period setting. The film does not feature many characters of color or give them significant roles.

How does The Ballad of Cable Hogue represent religion and culture?

Good

The film offers a nuanced look at the impact of industrialization and corporate growth. It portrays the shift to modernity as a loss of frontier independence and personal connections.

Does The Ballad of Cable Hogue include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of visible or invisible disabilities used as central character traits or plot devices.

Present on Screen

Provides a nuanced critique of rapid industrialization and corporate connectivity.
Rejects traditional, idealized Western hero archetypes for more complex characters.
Explores the moral relativism and situational ethics of frontier life.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender characters.
Features a predominantly white cast with minimal roles for characters of color.
Adheres to traditional gender hierarchies and male-driven narrative structures.

Official Synopsis

Double-crossed and left without water in the desert, Cable Hogue is saved when he finds a spring. It is in just the right spot for a much needed rest stop on the local stagecoach line, and Hogue uses this to his advantage. He builds a house and makes money off the stagecoach passengers. Hildy, a prostitute from the nearest town, moves in with him. Hogue has everything going his way until the advent of the automobile ends the era of the stagecoach.

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