A rich, spoiled wife and a poor underclass deckhand drift away from their yacht while on a Mediterranean vacation cruise. They become stranded on a deserted island where their roles become reversed. She becomes dependent upon him for survival. By the time they are rescued, they have fallen in love. The deckhand vows to leave his family for his new love, and they set up a time to reunite. She stands him up. The film asks the question whether sexual politics are consistent between the raw natural environment vs. civilization, and which arrangement is best. These points are made more cogently than by the 2002 Madonna remake of the same title. Dialog mentions Burt Lancaster of "From Here to Eternity" (1953) fame, and a similar promotional image.