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Swept Away: Gender and Class Struggle
In the 1970’s, Lina Wertmuller introduced herself into the Italian film industry as the first female director to be recognized and acclaimed internationally (Hcl.harvard.edu). The film Swept Away has come to be known as a phenomenon in the Italian film realm with its keen satire and Rabelaisian humor working as one to highlight some issues affecting post-war Italy (Nytimes.com). In the film, Wertmuller reinvents the character types and narrative forms of the mainstream Italian comedy to come up with a rare, radical, and political film that achieves widespread popularity (Hcl.harvard.edu). In the film, she focuses on issues such as class, politics, and gender. However, it is quite obvious that the film brings a commendable job by using gender struggle as a metaphor for class struggle.
The audience is introduced to Raffaella, a woman who is vacationing on a yacht. She is disrespectful and often insults the Sicilian crewmen on the yacht. She insists on being taken to an island despite the rough waters at dusk (Hcl.harvard.edu). Gennarino agrees to take her, but a sudden turn of events sees them lost and drifting away to a desert, where they have to fend for themselves and forage for food, something Raffaella is ill-equipped to do (Nytimes.com). The intrusion in which Gennarino decides to leave Raffaella out by herself knowing perfectly that she was not capable of working or foraging for food, so she would have to trade sex with Gennarino for food indicates how class struggles are being affiliated. (Hcl.harvard.edu). However, the Sicilian tells her that the only way that could happen is if she fell in love with him first. At this point in the film, profanity, derogatory gestures, and violence against Raffaella are manifested.
Wertmuller uses the prevailing class struggle between the various facets of Italy namely the north and south as her base. The values, roots, and snobbery of the inherently proud culture have greatly slipped. The characters portrayed in the film are held back by different forms of slavery (Hcl.harvard.edu). However, all these forms are in one way or the other connected with class concerns, not to mention the power wielded by the dollar. Although the film was hugely criticized for its portrayal of the characters, it is imperative that the audience realizes that the play is less about sex and more about caricature. By choosing the gender of the characters wittily, the director can present the nature of class struggle in the society (Hcl.harvard.edu).
Swept Away is a film set thirty years after World War II. Its characters highlight the idle rich or the working poor who are born presumably during or before the war. Gennerino and Raffaella are driven by anger that has been fuelled by years of social injustice and unrest. It would be safe to infer that Wertmuller did a great job not only with the characters but also with the idea of presenting class struggle to the audience by using gender struggle as a metaphor (Nytimes.com). Overall, the audience gets a clear picture and insight into life as it was in Italy at the time when the film was created and directed (Hcl.harvard.edu). The gap between the various class systems in the society was rather wide. However, every so often the roles were reversed, and those playing one role found them from a different script as did Raffaella and Gennerino in the desert.
In conclusion, it is evident that Lina Wertmuller successfully used gender and class struggles as a metaphor for class struggles. This is because the film highlights on the major characteristics that are presumed on both gender and class conflicts. The class struggles that show the difference between the rich and the poor individuals in Italy are imperative because it outlines the gap between the two. Gender is also another major aspect that has been mentioned to define successfully class conflict.
Work Cited
Hcl.harvard.edu, “A Lina Wertmüller Retrospective”, Harvard Film Archive. N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.
Canby Vincent, “Movie Review - Travolti Da Un Insolito Destino Nell Azzuro Mare D Agosto - 'Swept Away' Is A Wertmuller Film With Solid Appeal,” New York Times, Sept.18, 2015. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.