Swept Away

Drama | Italian with English subtitles | 114 minutes

Info

Raffaella, an arrogant, wealthy woman, is vacationing with friends on a yacht cruising the Mediterranean Sea. She talks incessantly about her entitlements while disparaging Gennarino, a communist deckhand. She calls him stupid, incompetent, and a pathetic leftist. When Raffaella and Gennarino decide to take a dinghy to meet up with her friends, the motor conks out and they drift onto a deserted island. With no help in sight, and no servants to cater to Raffaella’s needs, Gennarino takes over. Unsympathetically, he demands Raffaella obey his requests while he searches for food. Raffaella finds being passive and dependent to this brute of a man to be exhilarating. They become lovers. Soon, they spot a ship that will rescue them. Will Raffaella and Gennarino revert back to their old roles?

Cast

Giancarlo Giannini (Gennarino) / Mariangela Melato (Raffaella)

Why Stream This Film?

Many feminists objected to Swept Away but what Wertmüller was searingly saying is, no matter what happens, class differences between people will forever remain intact.

Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics Consensus): 60%

Accolades

National Board of Review: Winner, Best Foreign Film
New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Nominated, Best Screenplay (Lina Wertmüller); Best Director (Lina Wertmüller).
The film received a perfect 4 out of 4 stars from Roger Ebert.

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