22 Years Ago, This 5%-Rated Guy Ritchie Movie Ended a Superstar’s Acting Career
Some of us just weren’t cut for acting.
Right now, it's hard to imagine Guy Ritchie getting anything but praise from critics and audiences alike. With The Gentlemen still sitting atop the Netflix TV charts in many parts of the world, the director has proven that he can dominate new formats just as easily as he dominates full-length feature films.
But the road to success hasn't been easy. If you followed movie news in the early 2000s, you may remember the disastrous failure of Guy Ritchie's attempt to remake the 1974 Italian classic Swept Away.
Why Did Madonna Quit Acting?
While Swept Away (2002) was first and foremost a directorial failure, as the movie completely failed to translate the political idea behind the original 70s film, it also turned out to be the final nail in the coffin of Madonna's acting career. On the bright side, however, the iconic singer had done enough self-reflection to admit that acting simply wasn't the path for her.
The movie follows a young soldier and his wealthy employer who are trapped together on a remote island. In order to survive, she must give up all power and arrogance and trade places with her employee, who now has complete control over every single one of her actions. That is, until the sparks fly and the two fall in love.
Originally created by Lina Wertmüller, Swept Away caused a lot of backlash and controversy, with some calling it a ‘rape fantasy’ and others understanding the political message about classism behind the plot. Ritchie's version, however, pushed much more on the romantic aspect, completely losing the main idea behind the movie.
Madonna's bad acting was just a cherry on top of a 5% rated disaster of a movie. However, it was enough to make the pop star stay away from any kind of acting ever since. Even though she was sure that all the negativity wasn't really caused by the quality of the movie, but by the public's envy, which is questionable to say the least.
“I just don’t think people are comfortable with me doing well in other areas besides music <...> At the end of the day, it’s one thing to say you don’t like the movie. Okay fine, don’t like the movie. But they weren’t really criticizing the movie. It was like personal vendettas,” she shared with NBC.
Whether or not you believe the critical response that both Guy Ritchie and Madonna have received for Swept Away is rooted in personal envy, you can always go see the movie and make up your own mind about it. 2002's Swept Away can be purchased or rented on Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, or Apple TV.
Source: NBC