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the 'elder sister' is also unsatisfactory, as Miranda appears to pay a heavy price for achieving
economic and social emancipation, given that personal relationships are increasingly loveless
and functional. Through its portrayal of Miranda and Richard, the film explores the modern
phenomenon of the difficulties faced by men in their relationships with independent women -
in particular, their propensity to avoid responsibility or, worse, their tendency to exploit
relationships to their own advantage. When Miranda finishes with Richard he paces the room
in disbelief, interpreting her behaviour as characteristic of his own manipulative values, as he
claims: 'You get what you want when you want'. Miranda is viewed as a commodity on to
which Richard projects his values and needs, and when she shows signs of alternative,
independent wishes he is unable to cope with the autonomy of this object of his desire. When
Miranda rejects the functional, compartmentalized nature of their affair, Richard's angry
outburst of 'What happened to "What you see is what you get?" This is not you, I know you',
is characterized by the language of possession and consumerism, and betrays the confusion
and disappointment of a customer when an item that was believed to have been 'broken in' to
a comfortable fit, like shoes, suddenly assumes different and undesirable characteristics. This
exemplifies the way the film uses dialogues, whose nature and content demand a reflection
from viewers, to stimulate awareness about how modern society perceives women.
Lucy appears aware of these societal positions into which women can be
manoeuvred, so when she meets Niccolo again, the youth for whom she has preserved her
virginity, she does not immediately surrender herself and look at her love object in a solely
idealistic way. She remains aware, looking for signs of love in Niccolo's face, but she finds
none. Similarly, Lucy does not accept the practical solution inadvertently offered by the
Englishman. Instead she waits, and eventually Niccolo's less attractive brother, Osvaldo, is
revealed as the author of the letter that she loves and knows by heart; this situation is
undoubtedly a re-elaboration of the 18th century comedy Cyrano De Bergerac.(l) But unlike
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