Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto (1974)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Lina Wertmüller

Writer:

Lina Wertmüller (writer)

Release Date:

17 September 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A rich woman, Raffaella, and some friends rent a yacht to sail the Mediterranean Sea during summer. The sailor...

Plot Keywords:

Yacht | Beautiful Woman | Role Reversal | Sodomy | Italian Comedy

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Giancarlo Giannini	...	Gennarino Carunchio
Mariangela Melato	...	Raffaella Pavone Lanzetti
Riccardo Salvino	...	Signor Pavone Lanzetti
Isa Danieli	...	Anna
Aldo Puglisi
Anna Melita
Giuseppe Durini
Lucrezia De Domizio
Luis Suarez
Vittorio Fanfoni
Lorenzo Piani
Eros Pagni	...	Pippe

Also Known As:

Swept Away (International: English title)
Swept Away... by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August (International: English title) (long title)

Runtime:

Italy:116 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | USA:R | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Tortolì, Sardinia, Italy

Company:

Medusa Produzione

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Baywatch: Windswept (#7.4)" (1996)

A very good film that is super-original but I have a few reservations about strongly endorsing it

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.