You are here:

Happy as Lazzaro

Name: Happy as Lazzaro
Director: Alice Rohrwacher
Released: 2018
Duration: 128 min

Representation Score

6.6/10

Good

2018

PG-13

Director

Alice Rohrwacher

Runtime

128 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Alice Rohrwacher’s film is a sophisticated piece of magical realism that prioritizes social critique over demographic variety. While it lacks representation in specific identity categories like LGBTQ+ or disability, it achieves depth through its exploration of class and institutional corruption. The film's strength lies in its ability to use the peasantry as a vessel for examining historical power structures. It challenges the idea of social progress by framing the shift from feudalism to capitalism as a transition between different methods of exploitation. Ultimately, the work functions as a powerful critique of modern individualism. It trades traditional demographic diversity for a profound, philosophical examination of human dignity and the loss of communal morality.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Happy as Lazzaro have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or representations of non-straight relationships. The story focuses on socioeconomic and temporal changes affecting the main character.

How does Happy as Lazzaro portray gender?

Fair

Women play significant roles in navigating the challenges of both rural and modern Italian life. However, the story mainly revolves around the male protagonist, Lazzaro.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Happy as Lazzaro?

Fair

The cast is predominantly made up of individuals from similar backgrounds, reflecting the rural Italian setting. The film uses the peasantry to explore issues related to class and the underprivileged.

How does Happy as Lazzaro represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film provides a deep critique of Western institutions and capitalism. It contrasts a communal, pastoral past with the predatory nature of modern economic systems.

Does Happy as Lazzaro include disability representation?

Fair

There are no prominent depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities. Instead, the narrative focuses on the metaphorical loss of empathy in a modernizing society.

Present on Screen

Provides a sharp, anti-capitalist critique of modern economic structures.
Uses magical realism to challenge traditional nationalist and aristocratic narratives.
Centers the experiences of the invisible, exploited underclass.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight characters.
The narrative primarily centers on a male protagonist.
Does not feature prominent depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Purehearted teen Lazzaro is content living as a sharecropper in rural Italy, but an unlikely friendship with the marquise’s son will change his world.

How are these scores produced? →