A Joke of Destiny, 1983



Plot Summary:
A high government official finds himself trapped in his elaborate terrorist-proof limousine.

- Wertmuller's ambivalence about technology manifests itself in several scenes (e.g. The Minister of the Interior comes close to having a heart attack because of the heat in the limo due to a broken air-conditioning system. When the technicians laboring to get the car functioning again miraculously turn on the a.c., the Minister practically freezes to death. Also, the Minister's colleague runs toward the car with a sledge hammer exclaiming, "Man will triumph over machine." The hammer ricochets off the windshield like rubber.

- Ambivalence about human communication. Officers try in vain to interact with the trapped Minister through the sound-proof car window. A woman trying to get in touch with the Japanese automobile manufacturer can never seem to get through.


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