You are here:

Arvéd

Name: Arvéd
Director: Vojtěch Mašek
Released: 2022
Duration: 115 min

Representation Score

5.5/10

Fair

2022

Director

Vojtěch Mašek

Runtime

115 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Arvéd is a complex character study that avoids the trap of the simplified historical hero. By centering a protagonist with deeply contradictory identities—queer, scholar, and political collaborator—the film deconstructs traditional biographical clichés. The strength of the work lies in its psychological depth and its refusal to provide easy moral answers. It uses the friction between personal identity and systemic oppression to explore how individuals navigate shifting political tides. However, the film remains largely a study of masculinity and male-dominated power structures. While it challenges certain social roles, it lacks broader gender or racial diversity, remaining tethered to a specific, homogeneous historical period.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Arvéd have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film centers on a queer protagonist navigating the rigid constraints of the National Fascist Community. His homosexuality is a key part of his psychological and political identity.

How does Arvéd portray gender?

Fair

The narrative focuses heavily on male intellectual and political experiences. ability to act primarily resides with male figures within male-dominated institutions like law and theology.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Arvéd?

Fair

The setting reflects the demographic realities of early 20th-century Central Europe. The cast appears homogeneous, reflecting a period-accurate, non-diverse historical context.

How does Arvéd represent religion and culture?

Good

The story critiques Western institutions by prioritizing esoteric, occult truths over established religious doctrines. It explores moral relativism through a protagonist who navigates conflicting political and spiritual identities.

Does Arvéd include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no explicit evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the narrative.

Present on Screen

Sophisticated exploration of intersecting identities, including queer existence within fascist frameworks.
Deep psychological complexity that challenges conventional historical and moral narratives.
Nuanced critique of Western institutional authority through the lens of occultism and hermeticism.

Limited or Absent

Limited gender diversity, with ability to act concentrated almost exclusively among male figures.
Lack of racial and ethnic diversity, reflecting a narrow, period-specific demographic.
Minimal representation of disability or neurodivergent perspectives.

Official Synopsis

The real fate of Jiří Arvéd Smíchovský, a prominent hermeticist, occultist, believer in black magic and an exceptionally well-educated person with a brilliant memory. This avid book lover had doctorates in law, theology and philosophy and was fluent in five languages. He was interested in occult teachings, practiced magical ceremonies, was in contact with the Freemasons, but at the same time he was a member of the National Fascist Community while being homosexual. During the war he cooperated with the Nazis, after the war with the communist StB.

How are these scores produced? →