Within our society we often associate men and women with certain traits and characteristic. This process is referred to as gendering and stereotyping. Men are often stereotyped as competitive, physically imposing, non emotional, and ambitious, while women are often stereotyped as passive, nurturing, accepting, and graceful. The Italian melodrama lo sono l’ amore (2009) distinctively displays gender and stereotypes through the use of characters and their reactions towards the situations that they encounter. Emma Recchi displays all of the above stereotypes associated with women. I will be primarily focusing scenes that display her as accepting, nurturing, and graceful.
The scene where Emma discovers her daughter’s sexual identity, is a clear example of women as accepting. When Emma goes to pick up her daughter Betta’s blazer from the dry cleaners, she is made aware that something was left in one of the pockets. Emma reaches in to discover a love letter with a CD, from another young woman. She reads the sentiments carefully and imagines the young women together, in an attempt to fully understand the relationship. Emma tells her husband that she knows that Betta does not love her boyfriend and will not marry him. This indicates that she is fully aware and has accepted her daughter’s stance. Additionally when Betta returns home both her mother, Emma and her grandmother meet up with her to take her home. Emma seems a bit reluctant as she examines her daughter’s short hair and makeup-less face. This affirms her view of physical stereotypes attributed to lesbianism. She is processing the fact that her daughter has just graduated from university and has chosen to be a lesbian. These are two defining moments of Betta’s young adulthood. Finally Emma and Betta hug each other lovingly, which displays Emma’s acceptance and unconditional love for her daughter.
Once Emma and Betta are alone, Betta confides her sexual identity to her mother. This scene displays the stereotype of women as nurturers. In response, Emma caresses Betta’s hair, and tells her that her girlfriend is very beautiful. She continues to have a loving and motherly conversation with Betta. They both agree to not share the new revelation with Tancredi, Betta’s Father.
Gracefulness is modeled through Emma’s posture, open movements, and flowing gestures throughout the film. During the final dinner scene Emma displays both grace and confidence through the way that she is dressed and her purposeful movements. She rushes down the staircase in a very beautiful and flowing gown, in order to kiss Antonio discreetly and then return to the party unnoticed. The camera moves with her in order to capture her gracefulness and the natural swaying of her gown as she moves swiftly and excitedly to share a moment with her lover.
The film’s dramatic love story and central characters are used to explore political themes such as class dynamics, gender, and sexuality. The Recchi family is a wealthy Italian family that owns a textile factory. Emma Recchi pursues a relationship with a young and struggling chef named Antonio. In A Pervert’s Guide to Idealogy, Žižek describes this type of affair, where people from the upper class have relationships with those of the lower class in order to re-authenticate themselves. These relationships are not very serious and enduring because they are based on lust and impulse. Emma leaves her family in order to be with Antonio. The film ends with the two of them laying in a small ditch inside of a cave. This brings the concept of Plato’s allegory of the cave to mind, which leaves us to wonder about the seriousness and authenticity of this relationship.
Additionally gender is explored through the usage of hyperfemininity and hypermasculinity. This is where males and females express stereotypes and norms that are attributed to their gender in a conscious, deliberate, and even dramatic way. It is clear that Emma is expected to be, and therefore acts, very feminine. The same can be said for Tancredi with respect to his masculinity. Both Edoardo and Betta defy gender stereotypes because neither of them display a strong sense of “maleness” or “femaleness”. Edoardo is a heterosexual male who is seen as weak, clumsy, naive, and effeminate. Betta is gay and is seen as independent, strong, free spirited, and dominate.
Lastly sexuality is explored through Betta’s lesbianism. This conflicts with the family image, tradition, and values. Her relationship is not responsible for it, but is a part of events that take place in order to show deconstruction of and change within their family structure.
Amanda L. Thomas 
An interesting read and I was honestly not expecting to see an analysis of this film that suggests that Emma seemingly supports traditional gender stereotypes. The only thing I would have wish you had discussed would have been the final scene in which Emma abandons her family in order to go and be with her lover. To me that scene almost seemed to embody Emma discarding these traditional roles in order to go out and be who she wants to be rather than who she is expected to be. Of course that’s just my point of view and it does not change the fact that you have brought up some very good and important topics, particularly in the way she interacts with Betta. Once again, keep up the good work.
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