Themes of Swept Away

film combines drama and comedy genres that play out on an adventure. The movie was written and directed Lina Wertmuller produced in 1974. It mainly features communism and capitalism conflicts as narrated by the adventures of Mariangela Melato (Raffaela) and Giancarlo Giannini (Gennarino) who find themselves in an abandoned island having been left behind by friends and the yacht crew they traveled with to the Mediterranean Sea. It is during this period that they experience situations that change their characters and social perceptions.

            Bullaro suggests that the main theme of the film is on women oppression in regards to gender relations. The film was produced at a time when Women’s Liberation movement was on course thus Bullaro argues that it the theme was in line with the current happenings and that probably its production was opportunistic. This is evident when the film’s director demonstrates outrage to the audience upon physical assault to Raffaella by Gennarino in the Island while no big fuss when the reverse happens in the yacht with Gennarino is abused. Bullaro also suggests that even though women could be successful, they solely depend on men citing the fact that Raffaella’s socio-economic high status was because of the achievements of her husband without her own effort. During the deserted island ordeal, the dependent nature of women is also brought ought as Raffaella has to lay down her status in submission to Gennarino for survival because ‘nature’ dictates. Bullaro concludes that nature dictates behavior and that often men sublimate their feelings of revenge to women on what they can neither change nor control.

            Ferlita and May are of the perception that Swept Away largely centers on the emotions elicited to the audience. They suggest that it brings about conflicting emotions of exploitation and consummation in relation to the master-slave interactions. According to Ferlita and May, the theme revolves around sexuality argued either politically or socially. The relationship between Raffaella and Gennarino is that of the proletariat and bourgeois political values brought about by sexual admiration. This is seen when they spot a rescue ship and Raffaella objects to signaling them because of the desire and intimacy that has developed between them in their Island stay. The conflict between self and the society also plays out as, despite their intimate mutual feelings to remain together, they have to live within the logical confines of the society in relation to their social inclinations. They, however, wish they would return to the Island but stopped by the societal influences making Gennarino regret his move of stopping the rescue ship as he now has to fall back to is unromantic wife as Raffaella flies away with the husband, a situation they both can’t reverse.

            Cuttino perceives Raffaella to have a more masculine and controlling nature against her weak husband. She is an authoritarian woman who seems to take charge of all activities and every guest in her yacht along the waters of the Mediterranean. This is the opposite of societal expectation where the man bought to be the sole control in a family. Cuttino argues that successful gender relationships whether sexual or social should follow the natural order of life where the male figure demonstrates control over the female counterparts. This order of life can however only exist in the absence of social dictates of civilization. It is social obligations and class that dictate our decisions.

            From the various arguments, anarcha-feminism can be argued as an integral part of women in gender struggles for the class that is also part of the fight against anarchism in different states or social groupings.