SWEPT AWAY BY AN UNUSUAL DESTINY IN THE BLUE SEA OF AUGUST

Italy, 1975, 120 minutes, Colour.
Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato.
Directed by Lina Wertmuller.

Director-writer Lina Wertmuller has worked several times with Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato effectively criticising Italian social conditions, history and politics. Here she uses a modern adaptation of Admirable Crichton/Robinson Crusoe plot to stage a battle of the sexes, a battle of the classes and a battle between left and right. Verbal lashings, physical and psychological bouts of love and hate make for trenchant social observation and satire. Clearly, the appeal is to an Italian audience, but serious film-goers will appreciate the tour-de-force acting of the two principals and the ironic implications of the reversal of roles and role-play in master-servant, dominant male, dominant female relationships.

It was remade in 2002 by Guy Ritchie for his wife, Madonna. It kept the plot outline but was not particularly interesting and received very bad reviews – but it did have an absurd flashback to a music video imagination of Come on a my house (mock Italian style).

1. The significance of the title and audience anticipation of themes? The tone of the full title: Swept away . . . by an unusual destiny in the blue sea of August. What did the fuller title add?

2. The films of Lina Wertmuller? As an Italian, woman, her script and direction, Left interests, feminist tones? Her observation of the Italian social scene? Social struggle in Italy? Clashes between men and women? Her equality of men and women? Her use of the same leading actor and actress? As embodying facets of her understanding of the roles of men and women?

3. What picture of Italy was presented by the film? The range of politics and political discussion, social classes and their values, clash of values? The critique of the various political views, the particular classes?

4. What was the political point of view of the film? The critique of the upper classes? The putting of a Leftist point of view? At least, Socialist? As mouthed by Gennarino?

5. The observation of social behaviour and classes in Italy? The group hiring the yacht and their talk, behaviour? The contrast with Gennarino and the crew? Gennarino's background? The dallying with political interest, social expectations, and arrogance?

6. The film's observations on the social condition of men and women? In Italy? Their respective roles and expectations? Importance of sexuality - as symbolised by the rich women baring themselves and provoking the men?

7. The film's reliance for themes and structure on the basic Robinson Crusoe story and the isolation on an island? On the Admirable Crichton and the reversal of social roles? The Admirable Crichton and the reversal of class roles, sexual roles?

8. The importance of the opening and the audience interested in the personalities, the political and human conflict? The importance of the colour photography, the emphasis on the beauty of the blue sea of August? The yacht and the atmosphere of wealth? The sensual tones of the colour? The presentation of society, the strong emphasis on political and social gossip chatter?

9. The immediate impact of Raffaella? As a character, as a woman, her incessant talk, her Right-wing attitudes, her snobbery and arrogance? Her disdain of Gennarino and ridiculing him?

10. The initial impact of Gennarino as a character? As a man, working on the ship? His being hurt and humiliated? As regards the coffee, his shirt etc.?

11. The arrogance of Raffaella in wanting to go out on the boat? The clash with Gennarino about the lateness of the day and finding the others? The realisation they were lost? The impact of being lost on the sea, the weather, the cold? Their ability to cope? Sleep, food? Raffaella throwing away the raw fish etc.?

12. The impact of the island and their arriving? Raffaella's hopes? The search for civilisation and finding no-one but the remnants of a place to stay? A setting for a confrontation between the two? How had the film built up dramatically for such a confrontation?

13. The assumptions in each of them about how they would conduct themselves on the island, how they would survive? As regards dwelling, food, the essentials - such as water and washing? Mutual service or dominance?

14. Gennarino's assumption that he should take control? As a man? As revenge against being humiliated? The roughness of his treatment of Raffaella? How much did she deserve it, as a person, in revenge?

15. Her becoming the reluctant servant? Her hesitation, the hurt? Gennarino's ignorance - even about language (for example about sexuality)? The irony of the reversal of roles and the effect of this on each of them? Gennarino becoming more arrogant, sexist, chauvinist? Raffaella rebelling, yet being subdued, the effect of being mastered? The way that she actually served Gennarino in food, washing? His mercilessness in not letting her rest?

16. The importance of the sexual interaction? The emotional effect on each? His chasing her? The importance of the sadistic violence when he struck her for all the ills of Italy? His using her? Attempted rape? And yet his wanting her to love him? The emotional effect on Raffaella?

17. How did their relationship change as the days went on? The beacon, the ship and their not being picked up? The effect on each of them? Could they have lived together and grown to love one another and seen each other as equal human beings?

18. The suddenness of the rescue? The effect on each of them? Reality showing that the island was an idyll?

19. Raffaela on her return to her way of life, her husband, looking at the talk and arrogance in the light of her island experience?

20. Gennarino's return and the encounter with his wife, his memories and the effect of the island?

21. The testing of the truth of their feelings for one another? The buying of the ring. the drama of the phone call? The helicopter and Raffaela's leaving and Gennarino's exasperation?

22. The humiliation of Gennarino in Raffaela's leaving, in his wife's humiliation of him and her knowledge of the truth and abuse of him? (The contrast of Raffaela with Gennarino's wife and her being contented to stay in the hotel etc.?)

23. How well did the director use cinema techniques for entertaining, showing a human story and illustrating human characteristics as well as portraying social and political themes?

24. The contribution of the film to an understanding of the equality of men and women?