Swept Away (1974 film)
 | ||
| Starring | Giancarlo Giannini Mariangela Melato | |
| Music by | Piero Piccioni | |
| Released | 19 December 1974 (Milan) 17 September 1975 (US) | |
| Runtime | 114 minutes | |
| language | Italian | |
| IMDB Info | 0073817 on IMDb | |
| Buy it from | Amazon.com on DVD | |
* Swept Away (Swept Away by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August) 1974
: starring Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato, Riccardo Salvino, Isa Danieli
: A rich, spoiled wife and a poor underclass deckhand drift away from their yacht while on a Mediterranean vacation cruise. They become stranded on a deserted island where their roles become reversed. The film asks the question whether sexual politics are consistent between the raw natural environment vs. civilization, and which arrangement is best
:
Swept Away (full English title: Swept Away by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August, full Italian title: Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto) is a 1974 Italian film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller. It is a study in romance and class warfare.
Plot
An arrogant wealthy woman named Raffaella is vacationing on a yacht in the Mediterranean Sea with friends—swimming, sunbathing and talking incessantly about the virtues of her class and the worthlessness of the political left. Her nonstop political monologue infuriates one of the deckhands, Gennarino, a dedicated communist who manages to restrain his opinions to avoid losing his good job. Despite her humiliating insults, Gennarino agrees to take her out on a dinghy late in the evening to see the rest of her friends who have gone ahead without her. On their way, the outboard motor gives out, leaving them stranded in the middle of the sea with no land in sight.
After a night at sea, Gennarino manages to get the motor running again, but has no idea where they are. Eventually, they spot an island and head toward it, destroying their dinghy in the process. On land, they discover that there is no one else on the island. Accustomed to having everything done for her, Raffaella begins ordering Gennarino about, but he snaps, refusing to assist her any longer. Raffaella reacts with a string of insults, but he gives as good as he gets, and they split up to explore the island on their own.
Gennarino is soon catching and cooking lobsters. Gradually their roles become reversed. While she has to rely on him for food, Gennarino wants her to be his slave, convinced that women are born to serve men. He even forces her to endure the indignity of washing his underwear. When she reacts in angry defiance, he slaps her around. Gennarino starts to rape her, but then changes his mind, deciding that it would be more satisfying if she gave herself to him willingly. Later that evening, Raffaella does approach him, and both willingly engage in passionate sex. He wants her to fall in love with him, and she becomes subservient to him. Eventually, they spot a ship, and although they are both reluctant to disrupt their newfound paradise, they signal the ship and are rescued.
After returning home, they soon revert to their former lives and social roles—she once again embracing the upper-class lifestyle of her friends; returning to a life of a lower-class worker and husband. Abandoned by the object of his desires, Gennarino returns defeated to his sad life and loveless marriage—far removed from an idyllic island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Reception
American film critic Roger Ebert gave the movie four stars, his highest rating.
Many reviewers criticized the film as deeply misogynistic, with its themes of violence against women, subjugation, and rape. Anthony Kaufman, in The Village Voice, called it "possibly the most outrageously misogynist film ever made by a woman."
Some reviewers and analysts responded that those who focused on the misogyny simply didn't understand the film's message about class warfare. James Berardinelli defended the film, writing "Those who view this film casually may easily mistake it for a male fantasy…The reality, however, is that Wertmuller is exhibiting the courage to show things that other filmmakers shy away from." John P. Lovell wrote "The sexual violence can be analyzed as political violence within the framework of patriarchal politics and the film's concern with a symbolic presentation of social revolt."
In "Jump Cut", Tania Modleski dismissed those justifications, contending that critics would not have been so kind to those who made films which reinforced stereotypes-culminating in violent subjugation-about oppressed ethnic groups, so there was no justification for critics to praise a rape-fantasy film. Responding to the film's message about class warfare, she wrote "So even if Wertmuller (sic) wanted to convey only a political message, she has clouded rather than clarified the issues. She should have made both parties male."
Remake
The movie was remade in 2002 as "Swept Away", starring Madonna and directed by Guy Ritchie, but was "swept away" by unimpressed film critics worldwide; Ebert gave the remake one star.
External links
- Review Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto at the Internet Movie Database
- Review Swept Away (2002) at the Internet Movie Database
- Wikipedia article: The Admirable Crichton
Chat rooms • What links here • Copyright info • Contact information • Category:Root