Swept Away. . .by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August

1974 anti-feminism propaganda

Rating: 14/20

Plot: Some rich snobby people go on a boat trip to enjoy some swimming, some fishing, and some verbal abusing of the hired help. One of the most abusive, a woman named Raffaella, decides she wants to venture from the boat despite protestations from servant Gennarino that it is too late. Turns out it is too late, and the two end up stranded on a rocky island. Pampered Raffaella realizes she needs Gennarino to survive, and the tables are turned.

I've not done this before, but I had to give this a bonus point just because it was directed by a woman. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the whole point of this one seems to be that women in a capitalist society need to be slapped around a little bit so that they'll eventually come to their senses, realize that men are superior, and ask to be sodomized. And a woman directed it? There's some political stuff in here that I don't understand because I'm not smart enough. In fact, I would have liked there to be a little more story and a little less soapboxing. Neither of the characters in this are likable (probably the point), so by the time they "fall in love," it doesn't really seem to matter all that much. There are some funny moments, and the island and blue sea settings are beautifully filmed. I just wasn't able to connect to this thematically or politically, and it took away my ability to really enjoy this movie. That, and some of the scenes of physical abuse, abuse that would have made John Wayne's character in The Quiet Man proud, were tough to watch. Admittedly, I watched this while sleepy and was distracted by my own thoughts of a remake in which Madonna being physically abused.

I'm surprised my spellchecker recognizes the word soapboxing.