5.9
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Before Stonewall (1984)
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Progressive
Viewer Rating
Rating: 5.9
Overview
New York City's Stonewall Inn is regarded by many as the site of gay and lesbian liberation since it was at this bar that drag queens fought back against police June 27-28, 1969. This documentary uses extensive archival film, movie clips and personal recollections to construct an audiovisual history of the gay community before the Stonewall riots.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Bias Dimensions
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Trans: Positive
Christianity: Negative
Overview
New York City's Stonewall Inn is regarded by many as the site of gay and lesbian liberation since it was at this bar that drag queens fought back against police June 27-28, 1969. This documentary uses extensive archival film, movie clips and personal recollections to construct an audiovisual history of the gay community before the Stonewall riots.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Progressive
Primary
The film explicitly promotes progressive ideology by documenting the systemic oppression faced by LGBTQ+ individuals before Stonewall and highlighting their struggle for liberation and social change, aligning with core social justice narratives.
This documentary explicitly centers the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community, providing a platform for historically marginalized voices. Its narrative critically examines the traditional societal norms and power structures that contributed to their oppression.
Secondary
This historical documentary offers a profoundly affirming portrayal of LGBTQ+ individuals and themes. It meticulously documents the pre-Stonewall experiences, giving voice and dignity to a marginalized community. The film frames societal challenges as external forces, celebrating the resilience and inherent worth of queer identity.
Before Stonewall documents the lives of gender non-conforming individuals and early trans identities in pre-Stonewall America. Through interviews and archival footage, it respectfully portrays their struggles against societal prejudice and legal challenges, while also highlighting their resilience and the communities they formed. The film's empathetic approach affirms the historical significance and worth of these experiences.
The film documents how mainstream Christian institutions and doctrines significantly contributed to the societal condemnation, legal persecution, and discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in the pre-Stonewall era. The narrative frames these religious viewpoints as a source of harm and oppression, without offering a counterbalancing positive portrayal of the religion's role in this specific historical context.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
As a historical documentary, "Before Stonewall" features real individuals and archival footage. It does not involve fictional characters or adaptations where a character's established gender could be altered for on-screen portrayal.
As a historical documentary, "Before Stonewall" features real individuals and archival footage, not fictional characters subject to casting changes or race swaps. The film accurately portrays historical figures and interviewees as they are.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.5
6.7
Critic Ratings
9.4
N/A
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