You are here:

The Citadel

Name: The Citadel
Director: King Vidor
Released: 1938
Duration: 110 min

Representation Score

3.5/10

Limited

1938

Director

King Vidor

Runtime

110 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Citadel serves primarily as a critique of institutionalism rather than a vehicle for demographic representation. Its narrative strength lies in deconstructing professional hierarchies and the ethical tension between individuals and systemic corruption. However, the film is limited by its cultural homogeneity and adherence to traditional gender and romantic structures. It focuses heavily on the male protagonist's moral development, neglecting broader identity politics and diverse social complexities.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Citadel have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

There are no visible LGBTQ+ characters or narratives in the film. The romantic storyline centers around a traditional heterosexual relationship.

How does The Citadel portray gender?

Fair

The narrative emphasizes the male protagonist's professional journey. While his partner's emotional struggles are acknowledged, the story mainly revolves around the male perspective.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Citadel?

Minimal

The cast is predominantly white and European, with no evidence of racial diversity or non-Anglo-Saxon casting.

How does The Citadel represent religion and culture?

Good

The film critiques Western medical institutions and bureaucratic systems. It highlights the tension between systemic corruption and individual morality.

Does The Citadel include disability representation?

Limited

Physical ailments among miners are used as clinical subjects or plot drivers. The film does not focus on the lived experiences of disability or neurodivergence.

Present on Screen

Provides a nuanced critique of established Western medical and bureaucratic institutions.
Explores the ethical tension between individual morality and systemic corruption.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic diversity, presenting a culturally monolithic cast.
Fails to include LGBTQ+ representation or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth narratives.
Concentrates character's ability to drive the story within the male protagonist, limiting gender diversity.

Official Synopsis

Young, idealistic, newly qualified Scottish doctor Andrew Manson arrives in Wales and takes his first job in a mining town, and begins to wonder at the persistent cough many of the miners have. When his attempts to prove its cause are thwarted, he moves to London. His new practice does poorly, but when a friend shows him how to make a lucrative practice from rich hypochondriacs, it will take a great shock to show him what the truth of being a doctor really is.

How are these scores produced? →