[FilmReview]SweptAway(1974)8.4/10

Nottheblamednotorious2002GuyRitchie-Madonnaremake,thisisLinaWertmüller’soriginalmasterpiece,atactfullyveiledfeministtreatmentthatremovestheclassbarrierbymarooningasnootycapitalistsocialiteRaffaella(Melato)andaplebeianCommunistdeckhandGennarino(Gianninni),togetherinanuninhabitedislandinthemiddlepoint,andwhatensuesisataming-the-shrewsexromp,thatlivesanddieswiththeislanditself.Doesn’tseeeyetoeyewitheachotherprimafacie,thepairwearstheirheartontheirsleeveswithamutualdespitethatfeelsbothcomicalandvitriolic,andWertmüllerperceptivelydemandsRaffaellatomakeamealofherairsofsuperioritythatnaturallyelicitsoursympathytowardsthedowntroddenGennarino,piteouslycussingunderhandedlywithapuppy-eyedscruffiness,evenwhentheduoisleftdriftingafloatinadinghyontheMediterraneanSea(nighSardinianEasterncoast),theunseaworthyRaffaellahasnothingelsetodobutwhingesaboutGennarino’sinadequacy.Oncetheyareshipwreckedinanisland,Raffaella’speccadillocomeshometoroostwhentheirrolesareinevitablyreversed,totallyatthemercyofGennarino’ssurvivalskillinthenature,shehastoendurenumerousslapsandarapeattemptbeforecompletelysubmittingherselfasaslaveatthebeckandcallofhermaster,thealmighty,proletariatGennarino,whoisconfidentenoughthathisvirilemasculinitycannotonlysubjugatethevain,bourgeoisedamehefindsattractive,butalsomakeherfallinlovewithhim(asthereisnoothercompetitionsinsight),andostensibly,thatiswhathappensafterward,atthatpoint,oursympathyismiraculouslyveeredtowardadocileandbesottedRaffaella,arebornwoman,isn’tshe?ItisfaciletoaccuseWertmüllerofbeingmisogynistmerelyonthegroundsthatshesubjectsRaffaellarepeatedlytophysicalabuseinthehandofGennarino,sheisastuteenoughtowieldaTeflonshieldnotjustbecausesheisawomanherself,thustheviolencecanbeviewedasaself-reflexiveconceittoreflectthehorriblereality,butmoreintricately,topointuptheweakersex’spowerlessphysicalplightisheringeniousapproachtocounterpointawoman’sstaggeringresilience,bothphysicallyandmentally,tothepointthat,Gennarino,asamachomanovertlyboastinghisdominantnature,hasnorivaltooverpowerherinthelongrunontheintellectuallevel,becausehecanneverseeherthroughifhecannottreatherasanequal(ifnotsuperior).Feltbothsmittenandsuspectbyheraffection,Gennarino’sfatalmistakeisthatheistrickedintobelievingRaffaella’soscillation,thinksthathehasachanceofwinningthatkindoftrueloveamancouldevercovet.Thereforewhentheyreturntothecivilization,instantlytheupperhandisreturnedtotherichparty,andWertmüllerbrilliantlyenfoldsRaffaellawithanevenmoreambiguoushalo,lachrymoseandlovey-doveyduringthetelephonescenewithGennarino,yet,itisclearasdaytoaudiencethatshewillneverreturntothatGod-forsakenplaceofherownaccord,thetablehasbeenturnedandshewins,butinsteadofstruttinginfrontofthevanquished(asusuallyamaninclinestodo),beingasophisticatedwoman,shequicklylearnsfromhermistakesandknowsareallyvisceralrevengeistomakethevanquishedperpetuallyguessing,fancying,andeverlongingforthatpipedream,whichisexactlywhathappensintheend,awoebegoneGennarinoisagain,returnstohisnormallifeofalovelessmarriage,ruesthedaythathewasonceakingbestowedwithaperfectconsort.Evenmostofthetimethereareonlytwomaincharacters,anItalianfilmcanstillbepersistentlyboisterouswithflyingvituperationandexpletivesintermittentlyassaultingourauralsensorytothefourwinds,bothMariangelaMelatoandGiancarloGianniniarethecrèmesdelacrème,tearingintothebattle-of-sexeswithmind-bogglingconviction,incrediblephysicalfacilityandtop-notchcomictiming,andtheirraucousinterplaycangofromhighskylarkingtosearingdramaonamoment’snotice,moreover,theirdistinctivepersonaesubstantiallyoffsetmanyunsavorytraitsintheircharacters,andaltogetherburnishesWertmüller’seloquentallegorythatnailstheessenceofstereotypedgenderroles,classdisparityandhumanbeings’mostprimevalinstinct.Intriguingly,theprotagonistofmostfilmsandbooksaboutasolesurvivorinthenatureisman,whichmightobliquelycertifythatmanismoreofanatureanimalwhereaswomanisasocialone,ergo,itisfairlyclearwhooccupiesahigherstandingintheevolutiontree.referentialentries:Wertmüller’sLOVEANDANARCHY(1973,8.2/10);SEVENBEAUTIES(1975,8.5/10).copy;本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。