You are here:

The Dentures

Name: The Dentures
Director: Émile Cohl
Released: 1909
Duration: 5 min

Representation Score

4.2/10

Fair

1909

Director

Émile Cohl

Runtime

5 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Émile Cohl’s early animated short is a pioneering work of surrealism that centers on objects coming to life rather than character development. The film's impact comes from its disruption of social order and bodily autonomy through a sentient prosthetic. While the film doesn’t include much demographic diversity or layered representation, it offers a unique critique of social norms. By having the dentures attack various figures, including the police, the film questions everyone's ability to maintain control. Overall, the film is a product of its time, operating within a European context. Its strength lies in its surreal disruption of stability rather than its engagement with modern representation concepts.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Dentures have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film doesn't show any non-straight relationships. It focuses on a traditional family setup where interactions revolve around a sentient object and other characters.

How does The Dentures portray gender?

Fair

It shows a traditional family structure led by a mother-in-law. However, the dentures attack both men and women, which temporarily levels the social playing field by making everyone equally vulnerable.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Dentures?

Minimal

The cast seems to be made up of similar types of people, mostly fitting a European tradition. There's no sign of racial diversity or the use of ethnic metaphors.

How does The Dentures represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story rejects the idea of a well-ordered home by showing the dentures as a source of chaos. This challenges the idea of a stable Western household.

Does The Dentures include disability representation?

Limited

A prosthetic serves as the main plot device, but it's used as a comedic antagonist rather than a realistic portrayal of physical differences.

Present on Screen

Challenges social norms by having the dentures attack both men and women.
Uses surrealism to question the stability of the human body and social order.
Offers a minor critique of the structured Western household.

Limited or Absent

Doesn't depict any non-straight relationships or queer stories.
Has a homogeneous cast with no evidence of racial or ethnic diversity.
Uses a prosthetic as a comedic antagonist rather than a nuanced portrayal of disability.

Official Synopsis

Mother in law gets a new set of dentures. Despite being initially happy, the family soon discovers the teeth have a life of their own and jump from their owner's mouth and bite everyone who comes near--from ladies to gentlemen to policemen.

How are these scores produced? →