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Dawn Breaks, Which Is No Small Thing

Name: Dawn Breaks, Which Is No Small Thing
Director: José Luis Cuerda
Released: 1989
Duration: 106 min

Representation Score

5.3/10

Fair

1989

Director

José Luis Cuerda

Runtime

106 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film uses absurdity to question social norms through a surrealist comedy. Although it does not explicitly feature diverse identities, its narrative structure allows for critical examination of institutional norms. The protagonist's journey from the US back to Spain introduces themes of cultural displacement. The film's strength lies in its ability to challenge conventional thinking by embracing moral relativism and chaos over rigid traditions.

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Category Breakdown

Does Dawn Breaks, Which Is No Small Thing have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film maintains a neutral stance typical of late-80s European comedy. While director Cuerda's surrealist style often challenges assumptions about straight relationships, there is no clear depiction of non-straight or non-cisgender identities.

How does Dawn Breaks, Which Is No Small Thing portray gender?

Fair

The story focuses on a male academic, following a traditional protagonist model. However, the genre's absurdity might undermine the idea of masculine authority by showing authority figures in a silly manner.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Dawn Breaks, Which Is No Small Thing?

Fair

The Spanish setting historically restricts the range of non-Anglo-Saxon diversity. Yet, the protagonist's background as an engineer in the United States brings in themes of moving between cultures and feeling displaced.

How does Dawn Breaks, Which Is No Small Thing represent religion and culture?

Good

The surrealist approach challenges the strictness of traditional Spanish social structures and religious beliefs. It favors a subjective, chaotic reality over rigid moral standards.

Does Dawn Breaks, Which Is No Small Thing include disability representation?

Minimal

There is not enough information to confirm the presence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Present on Screen

The surrealist comedic style effectively critiques established social and religious institutions.
The protagonist's transnational experience introduces themes of cultural displacement.
The use of absurdity helps dismantle traditional views of masculine authority.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks clear, verifiable representations of non-straight or non-cisgender identities.
The Spanish setting limits the range of racial and ethnic diversity.
There is no evidence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Teodoro, a Spanish engineer working as a professor in the United States, returns to Spain to enjoy a sabbatical year.

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