Note: The film features portrayal of physical abuse and a masochist relationship.
Swept Away is more than a simple romantic drama comedy. Director Lina Wertmüller made a film that is not a relic of a bygone era but a film that is still living and breathing evisceration of society power dynamics, gender roles, politics, and capitalism. Wrapped in a troubling package of sexuality, romance, black comedy Swept Away forces you to confront the ugly truths of humanity in the prettiest of wrappings.
Raffaella (Mariangela Melato), her husband and her friends are the kind of nightmare elite rich that have become a more a reality than fantasy. Aboard a yacht vacationing in the Mediterranean their every need and whimsy are tended to by the crew – at the humiliation of the crew oftentimes. Raffaella’s focused on Gennarino (Giancarlo Giannini) a lowly deck hand who seems to do nothing right. It is Raffaella insistence on a late day boat ride to a beach that gets the two stranded and eventually swept to a deserted island. It is on that deserted island where the dynamics shift and begins a masochistic game of “love”.
Someone who calls Swept Away a love story or a romantic comedy is just not paying attention. The film directed and written by Wertmüller is more about fascism and communism than it has anything to do with affairs of the heart. Raffaella and Gennarino aren’t characters as much as they are political ideals in human form. Abusing/fighting against one another for supremacy over each other proving their beliefs are the better.
Swept Away shows us what happens in both controlled and chaotic environments to people’s beliefs. These humans test subjects of sorts subject each other to abuses that show the definition of political violence in all its forms. Swept Awayisn’t concerned with love, that’s the subterfuge it uses. Gennarino may talk of love but it’s the most twisted toxic gaslit version of the emotion. Its more emotional violence than it is any sort of restorative or genuine feeling. Raffaella for her part before they’re on the island treats Gennarino like an object than a human – the same as Gennarino would later do to her. They each may think they’re wronged and are justified in their treatment of one another – but that’s Wertmüller biggest joke. Swept Away finds both of these people repugnant unable to grow beyond their prejudices and respites.
The biggest condemnation comes after the “couple” has been rescued. We see their realities coming back into sharp focus. They may fool themselves in a brief moment of passion – the plan for escape back to the island – but the cement has been cast. Even on the island without society’s constructs they failed one another – never leaving their political beliefs behind, both playing their parts dutifully. No matter if society is present and or society and its constructs have disappeared Swept Away understands that people cannot throw those constructs away. Forever doomed to play our sick and violent games we play with one another – vying for control over one another.
The Transfer
The film was Restored in 2024 from the original film negatives by the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, in collaboration with Minerva Pictures and Mediaset, carried out by L’Immagine Ritrovata. The result is a magnificent and beautiful 4K image that mimics the lush 35mm origins of the film. The transfer is sharp with a beautiful patina of film grain. The color reproduction and contrast levels are the standout here with the Dolby Vision encoding really upping the values to a beautiful degree.
The Extras
They include the following;
4K (DISC 1) AND BLU-RAY (DISC 2) SPECIAL FEATURES
Audio Commentary by Film Historian Samm Deighan
Archival Audio Commentary by filmmaker Valerio Ruiz, director of the Lina Wertmüller documentary Behind the White Glasses
BLU-RAY SPECIAL EXCLUSIVES (DISC 2)
Interview with director Amy Heckerling (Clueless)
Trailers
The first of two Audio Commentaries is a new one by Film Historian Samm Deighan begins with her bonafides before diving into the film and the lengthy titles of Lina Wertmüller and what that title was (which Ruiz’s track does not give us). Some of the details include the shooting locations the film used; the intent of the film – including the troubling sexual politics – and how it relates to Lina Wertmüller’s career and her collaboration with Mariangela Melato and Giancarlo Giannini; an account of Wertmüller life and career how it informed her films – including Fellini mentoring her in her early career; the way Wertmüller mixes the sexual and political resulting in critically lauded transgressive thematic work; the changes and strife in Italy that informed on the concerns in her work during the 1970s and specifically four films around Swept Away; a larger detailed discussion throughout the commentary of the films made before and after in the 1970s that include The Seduction of Mimi, Blood Feud, Seven Beauties, and A Night Full of Rain – how they line up with Swept Away’s style, themes, politics (in all its forms be it class, financial, gender, and sexual) and the dynamics of men and women; and much more. Deighan provides a truly insightful commentary track for a challenging transgressive film giving us context and understanding of Wertmüller’s intent.
The second of the two is an archival Audio Commentary by filmmaker Valerio Ruiz, director of the Lina Wertmüller documentary Behind the White Glasses. Ruiz opens with her bonafides before diving into a discussion of the long original Italian titles of Wertmüller’s films. Some of the other details include where Wertmüller came up with the original concept for the film; a larger discussion about Italy’s “Years of Lead” and how the dialog satirizes it and the balance Wertmüller is able to keep here; where some of the dialog in the opening scenes was inspired from; a discussion of the dubbing of the film and Wertmüller insistence on the original actors dubbing their roles – which isn’t the norm; the work and collaboration of actors Giannini and Melato – who appeared in three films for Wertmüller; a discussion of the heighten stylized worlds that Wertmüller created and is present here; the lengths Wertmüller and her collaborators would go to create the visual looks of the characters; the way that Wertmüller develops the characters; Wertmüller and her deep relationship with music; a detail discussion of how Wertmüller directed her actors; the work and career of actor Mariangela Melato; the work and career of actor Giancarlo Giannini; the work of cinematographer Ennio Guarnieri and his collaboration with Wertmüller; a larger discussion throughout about discussion throughout of various cultural touchstones, social norms, pop culture, that may be lost on American audiences; and much more. Ruiz provides a deeply researched informational commentary track and includes quotes from various sources about the making of the film.
Interview with director Amy Heckerling (8:46) – an all-new interview with the director of Clueless. Heckerling opens with how she knew someone who used this film as a litmus test. She goes on to discuss the film like the Rolling Stones “Under my Thumb” about women knowing their place but also how the film’s complexities – that it’s both a romance masquerading as a political film and also a political film masquerading as a romance. The all-too-brief interview is truly wonderful dissection of the film’s core ideals and themes.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Ferdinando and Carolina (1:14); Swept Away [Original Theatrical Trailer] (3:00); Swept Away [Re-Release Trailer] (2:31); Summer Night [Original Theatrical Trailer] (2:19); Summer Night [US Trailer] (1:51)
The Final Thought
Raro Video’s 4K UHD set is an upgrade in every respect. Highest Recommendations!
The infamous anti-romantic drama Swept Away comes to 4K UHD thanks to Raro Video in a fully restored picture and sound + extras.
The Film
Note: The film features portrayal of physical abuse and a masochist relationship.
Swept Away is more than a simple romantic drama comedy. Director Lina Wertmüller made a film that is not a relic of a bygone era but a film that is still living and breathing evisceration of society power dynamics, gender roles, politics, and capitalism. Wrapped in a troubling package of sexuality, romance, black comedy Swept Away forces you to confront the ugly truths of humanity in the prettiest of wrappings.
Raffaella (Mariangela Melato), her husband and her friends are the kind of nightmare elite rich that have become a more a reality than fantasy. Aboard a yacht vacationing in the Mediterranean their every need and whimsy are tended to by the crew – at the humiliation of the crew oftentimes. Raffaella’s focused on Gennarino (Giancarlo Giannini) a lowly deck hand who seems to do nothing right. It is Raffaella insistence on a late day boat ride to a beach that gets the two stranded and eventually swept to a deserted island. It is on that deserted island where the dynamics shift and begins a masochistic game of “love”.
Someone who calls Swept Away a love story or a romantic comedy is just not paying attention. The film directed and written by Wertmüller is more about fascism and communism than it has anything to do with affairs of the heart. Raffaella and Gennarino aren’t characters as much as they are political ideals in human form. Abusing/fighting against one another for supremacy over each other proving their beliefs are the better.
Swept Away shows us what happens in both controlled and chaotic environments to people’s beliefs. These humans test subjects of sorts subject each other to abuses that show the definition of political violence in all its forms. Swept Awayisn’t concerned with love, that’s the subterfuge it uses. Gennarino may talk of love but it’s the most twisted toxic gaslit version of the emotion. Its more emotional violence than it is any sort of restorative or genuine feeling. Raffaella for her part before they’re on the island treats Gennarino like an object than a human – the same as Gennarino would later do to her. They each may think they’re wronged and are justified in their treatment of one another – but that’s Wertmüller biggest joke. Swept Away finds both of these people repugnant unable to grow beyond their prejudices and respites.
The biggest condemnation comes after the “couple” has been rescued. We see their realities coming back into sharp focus. They may fool themselves in a brief moment of passion – the plan for escape back to the island – but the cement has been cast. Even on the island without society’s constructs they failed one another – never leaving their political beliefs behind, both playing their parts dutifully. No matter if society is present and or society and its constructs have disappeared Swept Away understands that people cannot throw those constructs away. Forever doomed to play our sick and violent games we play with one another – vying for control over one another.
The Transfer
The film was Restored in 2024 from the original film negatives by the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, in collaboration with Minerva Pictures and Mediaset, carried out by L’Immagine Ritrovata. The result is a magnificent and beautiful 4K image that mimics the lush 35mm origins of the film. The transfer is sharp with a beautiful patina of film grain. The color reproduction and contrast levels are the standout here with the Dolby Vision encoding really upping the values to a beautiful degree.
The Extras
They include the following;
4K (DISC 1) AND BLU-RAY (DISC 2) SPECIAL FEATURES
BLU-RAY SPECIAL EXCLUSIVES (DISC 2)
The first of two Audio Commentaries is a new one by Film Historian Samm Deighan begins with her bonafides before diving into the film and the lengthy titles of Lina Wertmüller and what that title was (which Ruiz’s track does not give us). Some of the details include the shooting locations the film used; the intent of the film – including the troubling sexual politics – and how it relates to Lina Wertmüller’s career and her collaboration with Mariangela Melato and Giancarlo Giannini; an account of Wertmüller life and career how it informed her films – including Fellini mentoring her in her early career; the way Wertmüller mixes the sexual and political resulting in critically lauded transgressive thematic work; the changes and strife in Italy that informed on the concerns in her work during the 1970s and specifically four films around Swept Away; a larger detailed discussion throughout the commentary of the films made before and after in the 1970s that include The Seduction of Mimi, Blood Feud, Seven Beauties, and A Night Full of Rain – how they line up with Swept Away’s style, themes, politics (in all its forms be it class, financial, gender, and sexual) and the dynamics of men and women; and much more. Deighan provides a truly insightful commentary track for a challenging transgressive film giving us context and understanding of Wertmüller’s intent.
The second of the two is an archival Audio Commentary by filmmaker Valerio Ruiz, director of the Lina Wertmüller documentary Behind the White Glasses. Ruiz opens with her bonafides before diving into a discussion of the long original Italian titles of Wertmüller’s films. Some of the other details include where Wertmüller came up with the original concept for the film; a larger discussion about Italy’s “Years of Lead” and how the dialog satirizes it and the balance Wertmüller is able to keep here; where some of the dialog in the opening scenes was inspired from; a discussion of the dubbing of the film and Wertmüller insistence on the original actors dubbing their roles – which isn’t the norm; the work and collaboration of actors Giannini and Melato – who appeared in three films for Wertmüller; a discussion of the heighten stylized worlds that Wertmüller created and is present here; the lengths Wertmüller and her collaborators would go to create the visual looks of the characters; the way that Wertmüller develops the characters; Wertmüller and her deep relationship with music; a detail discussion of how Wertmüller directed her actors; the work and career of actor Mariangela Melato; the work and career of actor Giancarlo Giannini; the work of cinematographer Ennio Guarnieri and his collaboration with Wertmüller; a larger discussion throughout about discussion throughout of various cultural touchstones, social norms, pop culture, that may be lost on American audiences; and much more. Ruiz provides a deeply researched informational commentary track and includes quotes from various sources about the making of the film.
Interview with director Amy Heckerling (8:46) – an all-new interview with the director of Clueless. Heckerling opens with how she knew someone who used this film as a litmus test. She goes on to discuss the film like the Rolling Stones “Under my Thumb” about women knowing their place but also how the film’s complexities – that it’s both a romance masquerading as a political film and also a political film masquerading as a romance. The all-too-brief interview is truly wonderful dissection of the film’s core ideals and themes.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Ferdinando and Carolina (1:14); Swept Away [Original Theatrical Trailer] (3:00); Swept Away [Re-Release Trailer] (2:31); Summer Night [Original Theatrical Trailer] (2:19); Summer Night [US Trailer] (1:51)
The Final Thought
Raro Video’s 4K UHD set is an upgrade in every respect. Highest Recommendations!
Raro Films’ 4K UHD Edition of Swept Away is out now.
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