The Plot as Social Microcosm The narrative of La liceale is deceptively simple. Loredana is failing her studies. Her father, a wealthy and bumbling builder, tries to bribe professors to change her grades. Meanwhile, a strict male professor is immune to bribes but susceptible to Loredana’s charms. Simultaneously, Loredana pursues a romance with a poorer classmate, creating a class-conflict subplot.
The film attempts a satire of the Italian education system—a system often criticized for corruption and incompetence. The professors are depicted as grotesques: lecherous, easily bribed, or incompetent. The famous sequence involving the "striptease" anatomy lesson (often conflated with similar scenes in the sequel La liceale nella classe dei ripetuti) serves as the film's centerpiece.
The Male Gaze and the Female Agency Laura Mulvey’s concept of the "male gaze" is heavily applicable here. The camera lingers on Guida’s body; she is the object to be looked at. However, there is an argument for a twisted form of female agency. Loredana is rarely a passive victim. She actively weaponizes her sexuality. She understands the desires of the men around her (the professors, the suitors) and uses them to navigate a patriarchal system that otherwise excludes her. la liceale 1975 2021
Is this empowerment? In 1975, the audience likely saw a titillating fantasy. In 2021, a critic might see a survival strategy within a hostile environment. Loredana exposes the hypocrisy of the "moral authorities" (the teachers) by forcing them to confront their own repression.
Proviamo a mettere a confronto una “liceale” stereotipica del 1975 con una del 2021. The Plot as Social Microcosm The narrative of
| Caratteristica | La Liceale 1975 | La Liceale 2021 | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Obiettivo di vita | Trovare un fidanzato, divertirsi, fregare i prof | Diplomarsi, entrare all’università, attivismo ambientale | | Rapporto con la scuola | Ostile, luogo di divieti | Ansioso, luogo di competizione e burnout | | Modello femminile | L’attrice sexy, la soubrette | L’influencer, la ricercatrice, Greta Thunberg | | Problema principale | Il voto all’orale, l’uomo geloso | Il futuro incerto, l’ansia sociale, i like | | Media di riferimento | Cinema, fumetti, fotoromanzi | TikTok, Netflix, Podcast |
Nonostante il gap generazionale, nel 2021 si è registrato un curioso fenomeno: le piattaforme come Amazon Prime, YouTube e RaiPlay hanno rimesso in circolazione i film di “La liceale” del 1975. E i giovani (18-25 anni) li hanno riscoperti come cult. Perché? Meanwhile, a strict male professor is immune to
Nel 1975, la sessualità della liceale era implicita, goliardica, spesso volgare. Nel 2021, le studentesse parlano di consenso, contraccezione e sororità in classe, grazie all’educazione sentimentale (seppur carente) e ai podcast. La “provocazione” non è più un vestito corto, ma un discorso politico sull’aborto o sulla salute mentale.