When societal norms are disputed and obstacles are prevalent, what determines the success of your love? Is it the tooth and nail battle against the world and its people or the helpless surrender to luck? This portrayal of two women in love takes you on a journey through childhood affection, blossoming of romance, institutional perils and delivers the two lovers of this story to the mysterious hands of fate. The small volcanic island of 19th century Italy conceives and begets the blooming of the difficult love story of Angela and Sara, leaving the viewers believing that love, like energy, only changes forms....and is neither created nor destroyed. The gender-bending manifestation of true affection and dedication portrayed by the movie is unprecedented.
4 Reviews
Lesbian love on an 18th Century Mediterranean island
Red-1258 November 2010
Viola di mare or Purple Sea (also known as The Sea Purple) (2009) was written and directed by Donatella Maiorca. It's set on a barren island in the Mediterranean sea in the 19th Century. This clearly isn't paradise for anyone, and it's hell for a lesbian couple.
Isabella Ragonese plays Sara, who returns to the island after many years away. Valeria Solarino plays Angela, a determined, forceful woman, whose gender and sexual orientation make her a rebel and an outcast. These women fall in love--or, actually, revive their love--and they are clearly meant to be a couple. However, in a small, closed society like this one, their life together is considered impossible.
This is the basic plot (and the basic problem). What follows in the film is a compelling drama of true love trying to flourish--or at least survive--in an unlikely setting and in an unlikely way.
Both women are very lovely and the overall acting in the film is excellent. The production values are high. This is a movie worth seeking out and seeing. It will lose some of the barren scenic quality on the small screen, but it will otherwise work well on DVD. We had the privilege of seeing it at the Dryden Theatre, as part of the superb ImageOut Rochester Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
Isabella Ragonese plays Sara, who returns to the island after many years away. Valeria Solarino plays Angela, a determined, forceful woman, whose gender and sexual orientation make her a rebel and an outcast. These women fall in love--or, actually, revive their love--and they are clearly meant to be a couple. However, in a small, closed society like this one, their life together is considered impossible.
This is the basic plot (and the basic problem). What follows in the film is a compelling drama of true love trying to flourish--or at least survive--in an unlikely setting and in an unlikely way.
Both women are very lovely and the overall acting in the film is excellent. The production values are high. This is a movie worth seeking out and seeing. It will lose some of the barren scenic quality on the small screen, but it will otherwise work well on DVD. We had the privilege of seeing it at the Dryden Theatre, as part of the superb ImageOut Rochester Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
All The Feels
heatherp20111 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
AHHHHH!!! This movie is so good, but so bad. My goodness. Just flipping watched it for the fourth time. The landscape is stunning and the portrayal of Sara and Angela's relationship is enthralling. The ending is so heartbreaking and bitter sweet. When I first went in to watch this, the only thing I knew was that it was a lesbian romance story set in Italy. Now, I am well acquainted with most all of lesbian movies and I have to say, this is one of my absolute favorites because it is real love with real passion and real heartbreak. The Sea Purple, although hard to follow at first, is well worth watching multiple times to really comprehend the situation of two women in love in an unforgiving world and how eventually love conquers all. It is not the typical candy-coated lesbian romance story, which makes this film real.
Incredible film, incredible love story
vivaldi-bgd29 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Viola di Mare is one of the best lesbian-themed films I have ever seen. So often, films lack some important aspect to make them great - Viola di Mare has it all - great love between two women in impossible conditions, several unexpected twists to keep the tensions high, excellent directing and photography, multi-faceted story that deals with important personal as well as social, cultural and religious issues and finally, perfect acting by the two leading ladies. Not only were they stunning, their on-screen chemistry was mind-blowing.
I particularly liked two aspects of Viola di Mare - First, Angela's womanhood was never in question even when she had to give it up and Sara loved the woman in Angela. This is an interesting story about gender roles and how, contrary to what many straight people think, women who happen to love women do not wish to be men and embrace their womanhood as much as they can.
Second, there is a lot of Sara and Angela together, the two main characters were given plenty of on-screen time to portray their love. Donatella Maiorca allowed Angela and Sara to evolve in front of us, to convey all the intricate feelings that challenged their love and to finally show us longing, passion, chemistry and devotion that make the perfect love.
Absolutely a must-see film.
I particularly liked two aspects of Viola di Mare - First, Angela's womanhood was never in question even when she had to give it up and Sara loved the woman in Angela. This is an interesting story about gender roles and how, contrary to what many straight people think, women who happen to love women do not wish to be men and embrace their womanhood as much as they can.
Second, there is a lot of Sara and Angela together, the two main characters were given plenty of on-screen time to portray their love. Donatella Maiorca allowed Angela and Sara to evolve in front of us, to convey all the intricate feelings that challenged their love and to finally show us longing, passion, chemistry and devotion that make the perfect love.
Absolutely a must-see film.
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