Swept Away

Lina Wertmüller's notorious 1974 allegory about sexual politics and class warfare virtually defines political incorrectness. A haughty rich woman (Mariangela Melato) gets shipwrecked on a desert island with the servant (Giancarlo Giannini) she made a habit of dissing on her yacht. Soon the tables are turned and the disdained proletariat makes his social superior into a willing “love slave” who serves his every need…but not before a lot of shrill bickering that makes you want to wring both their necks. The handsome location photography is well-rendered on this sharp-looking disc, but the two-channel mono sound is recorded at far too low a level, and the release itself is bare bones. Remade in 2002 by Guy Ritchie as a star vehicle for wife Madonna (and universally panned), Wertmüller's provocative original is still a strong optional purchase, though admittedly more on the basis of its reputation than any great intrinsic artistic merits. (T. Rich)