User reviews

Despite the shrewish bitching of Rafaella and the grumbling of the sailor help- this is a very thought-provoking movie. What especially helps is the cinematography- by Wertmuller's husband- the white sailor uniform, the black diaphanous garb of R. and the blue sea as backdrop. As the affair progressed from hate to a passionate love the changes in body language is well done. Though I saw this movie many years ago- its power to address class wars, the battle between men and women and in inevitable conclusion has never left me.

A trip into the Mediterranean sea becomes a trip into the discovery of how society's frameworks of the rich and poor are delicate and temporary.

In his review in the Chicago Sun-Times, American film critic Roger Ebert gave the film four stars, his highest rating. Ebert wrote that the film "resists the director's most determined attempts to make it a fable about the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, and persists in being about a man and a woman. On that level, it's a great success." I'm on board with Ebert. I think this film was exceptional. Emotionally, it was raw, and I have to praise the performers and the director for the intensity. How you get a love story out of deep economic and political hatred, I don't know, but they pull it off. And despite the violence and abuse, there is something deeper here. Really a great film with something powerful to say.

I really loved this movie. I have to admit I only saw this because I heard of Madonna's remake and my love for the Goldie Hawn movie "Overboard", but...wow! Interesting, romantic, powerful, hard-to-watch, political, funny, sad, etc. This movie has it all. You can analyze this movie to death, but it will do it a disservice. Quite simply, it's about a bizarre romance that happens when two people who are total opposites, thus hating each other, are stranded on a remote island and must learn how to live together. By today's standards, this is a very un-P.C. movie: Male domination over a woman. However, it IS just a movie, not real life--don't let that put you off; and there are some scenes that are hard to take, but given the context of the characters, you might think to yourself--"is this deserved?" I think some parts are, and others--not at all. You might like this film if you liked Pedro Almodovar's "Atame! (Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down!)". This is a film you'll end up discussing with others after you've seen it. Also, I don't recommend viewing this around children or very impressionable teenagers.

I feel that many of the comments for 'Swept Away...' slightly miss the point. Certainly, it is about politics. But Wertmuller is not taking sides between her communist & capitalist heros. She is examining what happens when they are removed from the society that defines their roles and their relationship.

Once the balance of power is reversed, they essentially change places. He becomes dominant (and often abusive). She becomes weak and submissive. The rough sex, etc. is all symbolic of how the poor are treated by the rich. And Wertmuller shows us that the 'working class hero' has no inherent nobility. Put in the position of power, he is every bit as cruel as his former oppressors. Once they return to society, the balance of power is once again reversed.

The message here is that there are no political heros and villains. Power is relative and arbitrary. And sadly, it is our nature to abuse it. The lesson is, perhaps, that we must rise above that base instinct and treat our fellow men with empathy and generosity. "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

A film that's exceedingly difficult to pin down. It would be easy to dismiss it, but it's just as easy to be startled and amazed by it. The story's simple enough: a shaggy, dark-skinned man (played by Giancarlo Gianni) works under the thumb of the bourgoisie on a hired yacht. He despises them, and they despise him. One of these rich people is particularly annoying, a blonde woman (Mariangelo Melato), who spends her days incessantly bitching, spouting capitalist slogans, and putting down the servant class. These two characters, not surprisingly, end up together on a dinghy whose motor has broken. She never shuts up, he stares at her murderously. They eventually land on a deserted island, where he refuses to help her whatsoever. She eventually has to submit to whatever abuses he chooses to dish out. Yes, that does include physical and eventually a near-rape, which will certainly disgust and upset a lot of the film's audience. The film can actually be sort of perverse. I'm sure many have marvelled that, with some of the film's crueller scenes, the film was directed by a woman. It is actually, in its way, nearly as perverse at some times as The Night Porter, directed in the very same year in Italy, also by a woman. That film's merits are more dubious than Swept Away's, however. The film is unexpectedly hilarious, at least for the first forty-five minutes or so. When the abuse starts, the film begins to shift to a social issues picture. Class issues are important, as well as racial issues (which kind of amount to the same thing). I didn't mind seeing the woman verbally abused - she spent the first forty-five minutes doing the same to the guy. The smackings she receives were hard for even me to take, however. The politics are nevertheless exceedingly interesting. The film has some very good material on the social constructions of class. After this section of the film, the story shifts to erotica, and it is very erotic at times. In this section, the film is a direct descendent of Bertolucci's Last Tango in Paris (as was The Night Porter, incidentally). After that, the film shifts once again to romantic melodrama, as the two are rescued. The man makes the decision to signal a yacht that he sees in the distance simply because he wants to test the deep love that the woman swears by. These shifts in narrative can be clearly felt, like upshifting in a manual transmission vehicle, but it works rather well. I was always right with the film with its emotions (although it took me a good twenty minutes to get into the film). I ended up rather loving it, despite its flaws. Now I actually want to see the Madonna version to see how bad that hack Guy Ritchie screwed it up. At one point in the film the man tells the woman that she looks like the Madonna. Pretty funny, no? 9/10.

Back in the 1970's Lina Wertmuller was an art-house superstar. But more importantly, she was a first class original, bursting with a fresh, exciting vision.

Now, here's a lively storyline: a rich, racist, reactionary female- a right wing, fascist mind in a knuckle-biting, voluptuous body -is stranded on a mid-sea desert isle with a poverty-stricken, chauvinistic, Communist male- a left-leaning propagandist in a scrawny masculine body. "Make nice" they don't. Well, not right off the bat. Not before much nasty invective and grievous bodily assault take place. But then afterward....ahh, afterward.

SWEPT AWAY, though a foreign film, is in the manic, irreverent, well-timed tradition of Hollywood screwball comedies like THE AWFUL TRUTH(1937), MIDNIGHT(1939), THE LADY EVE(1941), and most emphatically, HIS GIRL FRIDAY(1940)- only with a shipload more profane repartee, orgiastic lust, and bone-crunching physicality than was ever permissible or desirable in those older classics. Throwing all vestiges of caution to the four winds, Wertmuller really surprises the viewer with her take on the battle of the genders strained through a volcanic political dialectic.

Upon its initial release many in the audience demurred strongly (and still do) as the male's dominance slipped into outright brutality. Certainly, Wertmuller can be accused of going too far, but never of boring us. Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangelo Melato are absolutely letter perfect: sulking, teasing, attacking, retreating, seducing, rampaging, abandoning. Their director spurs them through an emotional and physical gauntlet and they meet each dramatic challenge with winning artistry. You may feel wrung out by film's end. Or enraged. Or both. But you'll have quite a time.

This film is a time capsule of the 1970s in Italy and today many who view the film may not understand the context. At that time, there was quite a political schism in the country between the conservative and leftist wings of government. So this film can be enjoyed on two levels--one being a microcosm of the political and philosophical differences between the far right and far left. To me, though, this is not a great strength of this film, as the female lead is just too far right to be representative of the average political conservative--just the most rabidly extreme and one-dimensional. She was more a combination of a Fascist and ultra-Capitalist who sees the common people as riffraff to do her bidding--a horrid combination to say the least! He, on the other hand, was very pro-Communist but seemed like a much more reasonable person. So, if this WAS intended as political satire, the deck was definitely unfairly stacked in one direction--but it is still very interesting.

Now if you DON'T see this as political satire, it's a much more enjoyable film. Instead of all the Italian politics, it's basically the story of a super-rich and super-selfish woman (Mariangela Melato) who mistreats everyone she considers her inferior (i.e., anyone not rich). On board a luxury yacht that was chartered, she is constantly demanding, whiny and NEVER appreciative of anything--treating those working on the ship as if they were idiots. You REALLY wanted to see something horrid happen to her! One of the crew members who comes to hate her most (and deservedly so) is Giancarlo Giannini--who is simply tired of her abuse but has held his tongue in order to keep his job.

Eventually, through a strange series of events orchestrated by Melato, she and Giannini become shipwrecked on a deserted island. While there is fresh water and enough to eat, life is hard and the lady is ill-prepared for survival--as she expects Giannini to continue playing the role of a servant!! Well, this doesn't last long as their primitive lifestyle also calls for a more primitive relationship--with Giannini playing the strong clan leader and Melato as HIS servant!!! At first, she balks at this--that is until he brutalizes her until she shuts up and does everything she is told! This is very satisfying to watch. Rarely would I enjoy seeing anyone slapped around, but believe me, the writers did a great job of setting this up and getting the viewer to sympathize.

Now where the film goes next is probably pretty realistic but also makes this a VERY adult film. Considering that they both are relatively young and good-looking, it's not surprising that the film becomes very sexual. I understand why the film went this direction but this makes it totally inappropriate for kids or even teens--especially when he ultimately forces himself on her. In addition, later they discuss sodomy--another topic most responsible parents don't want the little kids learning about from a film!! This aspect may also make the film uncomfortable for many adult viewers--particularly rape victims. However, if you are able to look beyond this, the film is in many ways quite erotic and even romantic.

There is really MUCH more to the film than this. The film is super original, fascinating and well-made. It just MIGHT not be what you are looking for--please consider the content of this film before watching.

UPDATE 9/10--I just saw the silent movie "Male and Female" which was based on the J.M. Barrie play "The Admiral Crichton" and can now see where the writer/director of "Swept Away" got her inspiration. Clearly "Swept Away" is a re-working of this earlier story, though unlike Lina Wertmüller's strong secular-humanist/communist leanings, the silent film was, at times, very preachy and religious. Interesting and a film fans of Wertmüller should see.

Sometimes, there is nothing better than just a simple tale, easy to follow, with breathtaking scenery. Wonderfully acted story that draws you in. Giancarlo Giannini is THE best Italian actor of his time. And as a bonus, with the explicit subtitles, you can learn how to curse in Italian! While the abusive male behaviour is not terribly pc these days, it reflects the culture of some European countries. All in all shows why foreign films are so different from American films. Viva la difference!

pretty chill italian flick, it shows the drastic changes of 2 people when there is a change of environment, I never would of expected such graphic scenes by a female filmmaker. you'll have to see it to see what i mean

Much has been said about this unique film in other reviews, so I do not need to repeat a summery of the story. Let me just add three more aspects:

This film contains beautiful pictures of the mediteranean landscape on a remote lonely island. Lina Wertmüller dips her images into all kinds of different magical colors. You want to be there forever and that's exactly what adds to the story of an outer-worldly romance.

Secondly the film has great music. The exact funky easy type that has been reissued on so many lounge compilation CDs during the 1990s.

And last not least this film reminds us of the fact that feminism once was all but about protection zones and a new puritanism. Women embraced freedom, wildness and radical romanticism over a boring protective conventional social construct. And feminist filmmakers, which Lina Wertmüller surely is one of, preferred to tell stories of real life over predictable gender-political statements. This film does not judge, it simply shows, merciless, but also with a lot of love and an incredible sense of beauty. It may not be easy to swallow for many, but it should rather make them aware of their own inner prisons.

Forget the tawdry remake and the many meet cute films of this kind Swept Away spawned, this is a must watch film for any lover of film, philosophy and sociology. For those in search of a little romance, Swept Away can be seen as a love story, albeit an unconventional one. Its approach will disturb some - that a woman can fall in love with a man who abuses her, both physically and emotionally. However, those who criticize the film on this level are ignoring two important points. First, the female actually starts the abuse with her constant berating of the male on the yacht. Secondly, this "romance" is not taking place in anything resembling a civilized situation - by virtue of their circumstances, the characters have been thrown back into a setting that mimics prehistoric times, when survival (of the individual and of the species) dictated coupling. This is great cinema whether you like comedy, drama or just plain thinking.

A disclaimer: perhaps I lack the historical context to appreciate this movie's boldnesses, and perhaps I have a prejudice against Italian films -- I've seen very few that I like, and usually find them pretentious, obscure, and far inferior to, say, the French or Scandinavian cinema.

But that aside, I thought this movie was really quite lousy. This movie's supposed insights into the dialogue of the sexes (and the classes) are hardly deeper than your average cartoon -- and, as the movie progresses, rapidly become far more offensive: while I don't have any trouble with the considerable sexual content per se, I find the treatment of rape and violence to be unpleasant at best. If the script were better and the leads weren't two-dimensional archetypes, it might be a bit more convincing, but instead we get something that's scarcely any more rewarding or thoughtful than soft-core pornography. In fairness, I must admire Wertmuller's bravado, and the last 15 minutes or so are actually pretty good. There are also a few moments of genuine pathos, comedy, and erotic tension. But on the whole, the movie just leaves me feeling a little bit dirty and disgusted...and watching it with my girlfriend -- who was, in fact, physically abused by a previous boyfriend -- left me all the more aware of its unpleasantness. Maltin's four-star review in his movie guide is way, way overkill; I might give it two for ambition, but really, it barely merits one-and-a-half.

This was one of those few movies that can stay in your mind for decades. I still remember the scene where the rabbit is caught in the trap and slain. This, along with "Seven Beauties", is Wurtmuller's at her best. I have no intention of seeing the Madonna remake.

this film is superb, the cast and characters were great,made you feel like you were actually part of the movie.great story with out the fairy tale ending but in turn a real life ending that makes this story even more believable.

Great direction and actors. intelligent. intense. verbal. in my top 20 Italian movies. the director is very talented .

I guess that this movie is an excellent example of "different strokes for different folks" - but I found our obnoxious, doe-eyed "hero's" continual attempts to humiliate our obnoxious "heroine" tiresome. And I found offensive the portrayal of his routine physical abuse (rape, punches, etc.) as behavior that was helping her become a more compassionate human being. This movie gets my double YUK.

What begins as an almost farcical contrast between the working class sailor and the rich bitch on her yacht evolves into an engrossing tale of the need for love and companionship that completely changes the power relationships between the characters. What could have been a dreamy fantasy is repeatedly brought back to earth by details of real human psychology: revenge, compassion, hope and betrayal. I've seen this film at least half a dozen times and it always leaves me thinking and wondering. The cinematography is ethereal and the characters are painfully believeable.

Sensational film! What a discovery I consider this to be. I had never even heard of the (female) director before but am completely sold, not only ordering more right away but even ordering the Madonna remake that I wasn't even aware of. I'm sure that will be a disappointment but I wonder if it is really as bad as some make out, for this is a really tough little tale. Strong political and socio-political elements together with increasingly controlling and sadistic sexual goings on as a rich socialite in all her finery and extreme right wing views gets marooned with the much despised communist deck hand. Some elements are a bit dated but from the almost screwball first section through the hardening and desperate survivalist relationship stage, this is absorbing and thrilling stuff. There is much here to delight, upset, and thrill but not for the tender hearted.