
The Lorry
1977

1968
Director
Jean-Marie Straub, Danièle Huillet
Runtime
24 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
Three sequences are linked together in this short film by Straub; the first sequence is a long tracking shot from a car of prostitutes plying their trade on the night-time streets of Germany; the second is a staged play, cut down to 10 minutes by Straub and photographed in a single take; the final sequence covers the marriage of James and Lilith, and Lilith’s subsequent execution of her pimp, played by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. "The film is a look entirely at Western decadence" - Jean-Marie Straub.
Overall Score
Good
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film explores marginalized social strata by depicting sex workers on the streets of Germany. While it lacks explicit queer-coded character arcs, it focuses on figures existing outside heteronormative respectability.
Gender Representation
Lilith serves as a powerful subversion of the victim trope by executing a male authority figure. This portrayal rejects submissive femininity in favor of dark, decisive autonomy.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
The narrative focuses on class and social stratification rather than explicit racial or ethnic diversity. The tension centers on Western decadence and urban exploitation.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The film offers a skeptical critique of Western institutions like marriage and capitalism. It frames traditional social structures as inherently corrupt or decaying.
Disability Representation
There is no information regarding the depiction of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in this work.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
Straub and Huillet deliver a radical deconstruction of bourgeois social systems. The film succeeds by centering characters on the periphery of society, using them to expose systemic decay. Its strength lies in its aggressive challenge to gendered power dynamics and Western morality. By portraying a woman as a driver of violent action against a male pimp, it disrupts traditional hierarchies. However, the work lacks explicit markers of racial or LGBTQ+ diversity. The focus remains heavily on socio-economic identity and the critique of Western decadence.

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