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The 12th Man

Name: The 12th Man
Director: Harald Zwart
Released: 2017
Duration: 136 min

Representation Score

2.1/10

Limited

2017

Director

Harald Zwart

Runtime

136 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film is a traditional historical survival drama that prioritizes period accuracy and nationalistic storytelling. It adheres to conventional gender and ethnic hierarchies, focusing on a specific historical experience. By centering the narrative on the heroic struggle of male resistance fighters, the film maintains a strictly masculine framework. This approach limits the roles of women and avoids contemporary perspectives that reflect multiple aspects of identity. Ultimately, the work functions as a standard biographical account of wartime endurance. It does not attempt to disrupt traditional storytelling clichés or engage with postmodern critiques of power.

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Category Breakdown

Does The 12th Man have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses solely on a wartime military context and does not include any non-straight or non-cisgender identities or perspectives.

How does The 12th Man portray gender?

Limited

The story centers almost exclusively on male resistance fighters and their physical endurance. Women are shown only in peripheral or domestic roles, reinforcing traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The 12th Man?

Minimal

The cast is predominantly made up of people from similar backgrounds to maintain historical accuracy. It lacks diverse ethnic representation and does not explore multi-layered identities.

How does The 12th Man represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative portrays the conflict as a fight for national sovereignty against Nazi occupation. It presents a clear-cut struggle between liberation and oppression, avoiding moral relativism.

Does The 12th Man include disability representation?

Limited

Physical injuries and environmental hardships serve as dramatic obstacles for the protagonist. These elements function as survival tools rather than exploring disability in depth.

Present on Screen

Maintains high historical fidelity through a period-accurate depiction of the Scandinavian demographic.

Limited or Absent

Lacks significant roles for women, relegating them to peripheral or domestic positions.
Does not include non-straight or non-cisgender identities or perspectives.
Fails to provide nuanced explorations of disability beyond using physical trauma as a plot device.

Official Synopsis

After a failed anti-Nazi sabotage mission leaves his eleven comrades dead, a Norwegian resistance fighter finds himself fleeing the Gestapo through the snowbound reaches of Scandinavia.

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