Jacinta Filiaci

October 24, 2015

Italy through film/Cross Culture

Week 4: Family and Discipline

Maria Sole Tognazzis Viaggio Sola or A Five Star Life explores the

contemporary and constantly evolving role of women in Italy, or the developed world in

general. Tognazzi does this through the protagonist Irene, a single, career-driven

woman, as she undergoes a journey of self-discovery whilst discovering the physical

world around her through her constant life of travel. The film depicts this growth by

introducing Kate Sherman, a fictional anthropologist Irene encounters by chance on one

of her trips. Irenes cementing identity and role as a woman in Italy is conveyed by the

contrast created by the two characters and the films meaningful and drastic shift of

mood and atmosphere after their very brief acquaintance.

The way the women portray themselves physically in the film is highly symbolic.

Additionally, the growth of this symbolism is successfully highlighted chronologically.

For example, their very first encounter takes place in the hotels spa/steam room. This is

significant alone in the fact that a spa itself represents a place of release, reflection and

vulnerability. The woman sit side by side, symmetrically sharing equal amounts of the

frame, representing their already mutual sense of respect for each other. The difference

between them is the almost unnoticeable fact that Irene wears a tank top and towel and

Kate in a towel alone. Kates nudity represents her contrasting stronger sense of self

and role in the world as a woman. She is stripped of the weight of gender norms and
expectations and importantly, very comfortable with it - this comfort depicted simply in

the relaxed nature of her body language and quick willingness to converse even in a

more orthodoxically personal setting (where conversation is sparse and generally

unwanted). On the other hand, Irenes partial nudity represents her progressing steps to

liberation and independence. The very fact that this is the beginning of their relationship

foreshadows the unconventionally drastic and unexpected significance it brings into

Irenes life.

Throughout the film, Irene is dressed very chique and composed, always

dressed almost entirely in white trousers and structured blazers. This is a perfect

reflection of her character: she is on the constant go, professional and sophisticated;

she is characteristically and internally layered just like her attire. This facade is

dramatically accompanied with kates fully black outfit and heavier make up - a similar

ensemble is seen in her television appearance. Kates attire unseemingly projects an

atmosphere of conviction and dominance, a contrast to the more composed purity of

Irenes frequent fully white, tame, and neutrally colored outfits.

The film projects the women effectively through its technical features, syncing the

narrative context to editing methods. For instance, it uses an unnatural and almost

uncomfortable visual technique during most of Kates scenes: the camera abruptly

zooms very closely to specific features, such as her lips and fingers. This is seen during

her television cameo as she discusses intimacy, hypersexuality, seduction and

pornography. She discusses the sexual objectification of women as she herself, is

objectified, piece by piece (body-part by body-part) by the camera. The visual

desegmentation of her body strengthens her argument as well as resemble

pornographic visual tendencies of focusing on hypersexual features of a woman such

as a red lip, shaded eye and polished fingernails - as Irene watches from the privacy,

intimacy and comfort of a bedroom. The film also chooses to combine the scene in

which Kate discusses the modern obsession with plastic surgery with the application of

her make-up. This editing creates visual and narrative tension because Kate expresses

her distaste towards artificial beauty as she herself applies a layer of artifice. However,

despite this superficial contrast, it displays the different ways in which women

manipulate their appearance - the difference between self-expression and confidence

and conformity to expectations.

Along with the internal growth Kate instils into Irene, she inspires a physical

change as well. This is seen firstly through Irenes presence in hotel rooms and

lounges, often seen ordering room service and eating solely at the hotel restaurants,

always on the watch for imperfections. On the contrary, Kate inspires Irenes eventual

trip to a garlic-smelling, possibly unsanitary, cheap and most of all imperfect Turkish

restaurant, feeding into her unforgettable claim that luxury is a form of deceit. These

words grow truer throughout the film as Irene makes the decision to re-assess her

home, her overall life and chooses to go on a trip for pleasure.

In conclusion, the film demonstrates the ease in which the world can convince

individuals, especially women, that the fight for equality is over. This is seen through the

combination of Irenes internal narrative and Kates very upfront, external one. The film

showcases only powerful, independent women from the very beginning, even though
they are so seemingly different, introducing a multilingual-world traveler, cultural

anthropologist and mother. The film successfully uses the focal narrative of one woman

to create a commentary on the significant role of women in contemporary Italy.