Swept Away is a 2002 romantic comedy film written and directed by Guy Ritchie. The film is a remake of Lina Wertmüller's 1974 Italian film released in English under the same name,note Its original title in Italian is Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto ("Swept Away by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August") and stars Ritchie's then-wife Madonna.
Amber Leighton (Madonna) is a beautiful, spoiled, foul-mouthed, and arrogant rich woman. Nothing makes her happy, including her wealthy but passive husband, Tony (Bruce Greenwood), a pharmaceutical kingpin. When Tony takes her on a private cruise from Greece to Italy with two other couples, Amber is unimpressed by this impromptu no-frills vacation and takes out her anger on the ship's first mate, Giuseppe Esposito (Adriano Giannini). When a storm leaves the two shipwrecked on a deserted island, however, the tables suddenly turn, with Giuseppe gaining the upper hand, followed by the two falling in love.
This film contains examples of:
- Adaptational Jerkass: While Raffaella was certainly no saint in the original - she was a snobbish, demanding and rude woman who openly considered the political left worthless - her counterpart Amber is significantly nastier, being deliberately abusive and even full-on racist.
- Adaptational Nationality: Italian Raffaella Pavone Lanzetti becomes American Amber Leighton.
- Adaptation Deviation: The original 1974 film which this film is based on had the characters that were the basis for Amber and Giuseppe be a staunch Capitalist and Communist, respectively, in line with the film's director Lina Wertmüller's political commentary on her films. (There's a scene in that film in which Raffaella, that film's equivalent of Amber, incessantly talks about the virtues of her class and the worthlessness of the political left.) This is stated to be the reason why they had such a violently antagonistic relationship before they fall in love. In this film, all the political commentary is cut out, and instead it's implied that the reason for Amber's mistreatment of Giuseppe and vice versa is simply because she's a huge Jerkass (before Giuseppe too starts mistreating her in retaliation once they're on the island).
- Adaptation Name Change:
- The female lead's name is changed from Raffaella Pavone Lanzetti to Amber Leighton.
- Gennarino from the original movie becomes Giuseppe in this remake.
- Bittersweet Ending: Leaning a bit more on the bitter side. Amber and Giuseppe escape the island, but she returns to her husband, and so the affair they started at the island ends. Adding insult to injury, they were planning to run away together, but her husband's manipulation leaves them parting ways, with each thinking that the other doesn't love them anymore.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Amber is condescending and dismissive of Giuseppe until they fall in love, though Giuseppe has rather brutish methods of chipping the ice.
- Deserted Island: Amber and Giuseppe become shipwrecked on a deserted island.
- Did Not Get the Girl: In the end, Amber goes back to her husband after she and Giuseppe are rescued from the island. Though this is only because of her husband's manipulation of the situation, which leaves her thinking that Giuseppe doesn't love her anymore.
- The Dog Bites Back: After getting mistreated by Amber, Giuseppe turns the tables on her when, in the deserted island, her social status is null.
- Robinsonade: Amber and Giuseppe become shipwrecked on a deserted island far away from civilization and are forced to live off the land in order to survive.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: Pretty much Amber and Giuseppe's relationship in a nutshell: She berates him, he berates her in retaliation once they're in the deserted island, then they fall in love.