Swept Away... By an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August (1974)

Lina Wertmuller's 1974 drama Swept Away is an intensely critical look at politics and human nature. Similar to how the character construction in Amiri Baraka's play The Dutchman portrayed racism in America, this symbolic Italian fable examines the power relationships of class struggle as represented by a man and a woman trapped in a certain space. After a thorough examination of the humiliating tasks performed by the working class, the characters end up in a desperate situation that causes the power to shift from the capitalist to the proletariat. Taking no simple way out, Wertmuller denies the Communist any inherent nobility as he easily becomes corrupted by his power. The dramatic rape scene may be offensive to some, but it works effectively as a symbol of how the poor are treated by the rich. Shot in the sunny Mediterranean sea, Swept Away manages to be thoroughly engaging despite some choppy edits and uneven tone. The excellent leads are convincing enough to create the self-destructive romance at the film's center and surround it with cruelty and harsh realities. Wertmuller takes no sides, showing the brutality of human nature in the political and public sphere as shown through the personal and private. Hollywood remade this material in two paler versions: the frivolous Six Days, Seven Nights (1998) and the box-office flop Swept Away (2002). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide