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The Basilisks

Name: The Basilisks
Director: Lina Wertmüller
Released: 1963
Duration: 85 min

Representation Score

7.9/10

Good

1963

Not Rated

Director

Lina Wertmüller

Runtime

85 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Lina Wertmüller uses this drama to explore class struggle and the tension between personal desires and socio-economic constraints. The film's strength lies in its critical examination of how oppressive economic structures force characters into non-conformist behaviors. While the film lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or racial diversity, it provides a meaningful critique of traditional Western institutions. By focusing on the underrepresented Southern identity, it serves as a proxy for broader systemic inequality. Ultimately, the work prioritizes the subversion of social hierarchies over singular moralistic storytelling, making it a significant study of regional and class-based stratification.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Basilisks have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film centers on the daily struggles of young men in a poor Italian village. There are no clear representations of LGBTQ+ identities or specific queer narratives.

How does The Basilisks portray gender?

Fair

The movie examines how traditional gender roles are disrupted in a underrepresented environment. It challenges the stability of patriarchal leadership and rigid social norms.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Basilisks?

Fair

The cast is predominantly made up of Southern Italians, reflecting the village's homogeneity. However, the film critiques the hierarchical divisions and the exclusion of the impoverished South by the North.

How does The Basilisks represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film delves into the failures of capitalism and portrays traditional institutions like family and local authority as sources of corruption and stagnation.

Does The Basilisks include disability representation?

Limited

There is no evidence that neurodivergence or physical disabilities play a central role in the character arcs. These conditions appear only as markers of poverty.

Present on Screen

Strong critique of capitalist failures and the state's inability to support impoverished citizens.
Effective exploration of regional hierarchies and the socio-economic 'othering' of Southern Italy.
Nuanced deconstruction of traditional power structures and institutional corruption through a progressive lens.

Limited or Absent

Limited explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight-centered narratives.
No central character arcs involving neurodivergence or physical disabilities.
Homogeneous ethnic casting due to the specific localized setting of the village.

Official Synopsis

Francesco, Sergio, and Antonio, three young men in a small, poverty-stricken village, lead uneventful lives. As all three are unemployed, they pass time roaming the streets and chasing girls. One day, Antonio's aunt asks him to stay with her and his cousins in Rome. He accepts and enrolls at a university, leaving his two friends behind to envy him for his new upscale lifestyle. But eventually Antonio returns, initially just for a day. Though he boasts about his life, he never returns to Rome and instead opts for his friends and the place he grew up, despite all its shortcomings.

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