Pier Paolo Pasolini

[criterionmaster]

The man is a master, pure and simple. More thoughts on him and the films I have seen below...

But first, to get a look at the man, click. It is too big to post.

1. Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (1975)
... aka Salo ou les 120 journées de Sodome (France)
... aka Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (International: English title)
2. Fiore delle mille e una notte, Il (1974)
... aka A Thousand and One Nights
... aka Arabian Nights (USA)
... aka Flower of the Arabian Nights (International: English title)
... aka Mille et une nuits, Les (France)
3. Pasolini e... la forma della città (1974)
4. Racconti di Canterbury, I (1972)
... aka Contes de Canterbury, Les (France)
... aka The Canterbury Tales (USA)
5. Dodici dicembre 1972 (1972) (uncredited)
6. Decameron, Il (1971)
... aka Décaméron, Le (France)
... aka Decameron (West Germany)
... aka Decamerone (West Germany)
... aka The Decameron (USA)
7. Appunti per un'Orestiade africana (1970)
... aka Notes Towards an African Orestes (International: English title)
... aka Notes for an African Orestes
8. Appunti per un romanzo dell'immondezza (1970)
9. Medea (1969)
... aka Medée (France)
... aka Medea (USA)
10. Porcile (1969)
... aka Pigpen (USA)
... aka Pigsty (UK)
... aka Porcherie (France)
11. Amore e rabbia (1969) (segment "La sequenza del fiore di carta")
... aka Évangile 70 (France)
... aka Contestation, La (France)
... aka Love and Anger
... aka Vangelo '70 (Italy: alternative title)
12. Teorema (1968)
... aka Theorem
13. Appunti per un film sull'india (1968)
... aka Appunti per un film indiano (Italy)
14. Capriccio all'italiana (1968) (segment "Che cosa sono le nuvole?")
... aka Caprice Italian Style
15. Edipo re (1967/I)
... aka Oedipus Rex (USA)
16. Streghe, Le (1967) (segment "Terra vista dalla luna, La")
... aka Sorcières, Les (France)
... aka The Witches (USA)
17. Uccellacci e uccellini (1966)
... aka Hawks and Sparrows
... aka The Hawks and the Sparrows (USA)
18. Sopralluoghi in Palestina per il vangelo secondo Matteo (1965)
19. Comizi d'amore (1965)
... aka Assembly of Love
... aka Love Meetings
20. Padre selvaggio, Il (1965)
21. Vangelo secondo Matteo, Il (1964)
... aka Évangile selon saint Matthieu, L' (France)
... aka The Gospel According to St. Matthew (USA)
22. Mura di Sana, Le (1964)
23. Rabbia, La (1963) (part I)
24. Ro.Go.Pa.G. (1963) (segment "Ricotta, La")
... aka Let's Have a Brainwash
... aka Rogopag (France)
25. Mamma Roma (1962)
26. Accattone (1961)
... aka Accattone! (USA)
... aka The Procurer (UK)
... aka The Scrounger (USA: informal English title)




Pasolini’s close-ups are stunning. His photography is beautiful. I don’t know how to describe it really, he has a unique style. It has a real-like style, not necessarily a “shaky” camera but more a camera that just moves with the actions of the characters and with the events on screen. It feels very real. The costumes on the film are great, and much better than most huge budgeted films. The look of the film was just right; it was like scummy or something but just fit the film so perfectly, much better than glossy, Hollywood Jesus films.

Any stiff acting in the film is made up for by Enrique Irazoqui amazing performance as Jesus. He is easily the best Jesus ever, and gives a breathtaking performance. You can just feel him. I like the fact that Pasolini uses non professional actors for the most part, it does give it a real touch, the only downfall of this is occasional poor acting, but that can easily be forgotten about if the film is this well-made.

The scene with the extreme close-up on Jesus’ eyes, where they are asking which they should release of the two, Jesus or the actual criminal, that scene alone got me to care more about Jesus as a man more than the entire Passion of the Ridiculous. It does something most films fail at miserably; make me care for a man who rarely shows his feelings. And the final scene of Jesus on the cross is shown as basically a silent film, accompanied only by a score. Never will I come that close to tears with the story of Jesus as I did in this film. The film is poetic to say the least.

Truly a remarkable film experience and a masterpiece, it is one of the best films ever made. If there ever was a defining film about these events this would be it, I don’t know of a way to tell it any better. Please do not look at Salo and give up on Pasolini as a director; you can definitely see why (if you hadn’t already seen in Salo) he is one of the greatest ever.

*Someone help me though, one of the most haunting songs I have ever heard in a film is used in this. It sounds like a woman, very distant, making sounds and some sort of instrument strumming with it. It is hard to explain but if you heard it you would know. Well I really want to know the name of it; I must use it in a film.








And as for the other film I have seen by him, Salo, the only thing I can really say is it is like no other film experience. “The most disturbing film ever” doesn’t do this justice. It is so deep and just an experience that can’t be explained. The film that got Pasolini killed. Go see it if you haven’t, one of the best films ever made.






Next up from him Mamma Roma.

[ie]

But first, to get a look at the man, click. It is too big to post.
[/quote]


It appeared rather small at first. I wasn't sure what it was, even, but you know, that's one thing I didn't need to see.

[criterionmaster]

I got you!

[ie]

Yeah, but I know that links you post are all just set ups, so they don't bother me too much.

[criterionmaster]

Teorema (Pier Paolo Pasolini; 1968) 8/10



At first I was very confused by the film, nothing is told for you at all, and the images are very poetic and told in a poetic way, so it can become confusing at times. It took me an hour or so of thinking about the film to finally get an interpretation of the film, and even then it is just that, an interpretation, each viewer will have their own.

Pasolini shows us a man, who goes through a mansion and sleeps with each person in the house, man or woman. Pasolini chose not to show us the acts, he cuts away seconds before it happens, which was a bold choice since he had to rely on people understanding what was actually happening, and that he is seducing the people. The man sleeps with each person and then leaves, which is when the film is sent into overdrive with its poetry and confusion. It is hard to understand exactly what is going on after this point, although it features many beautiful images. I couldn’t tell whether these were dreams but the images basically are showing the people and how they act after they wake up and find the man gone.

The tagline is “There are only 923 words spoken in "Teorema" - but it says everything!” but it is so true because of Pasolini and his making “film poetry” ability. The performances were all good, albeit occasionally stiff.

Definitely a lesser Pasolini film that I have seen, but it is still very worth watching. I am going to have to re-watch this film sometime.



Pasolini and Death 8/10

An interesting look at the mystery of Pasolini's murder. It opened up many things that I will have to think about, also it showed me even more what a poet the man is, I will have to get some of his poetry books, and his other work.

[kiddo]

I really, really, really should check out some of his films. I think I know this guy at school that has a couple of films by Pasolini, and I sure as hell are going to ask him to borrow 'em.

[criterionmaster]

Yeah you do! You will have to tell us what your friend has, that is cool you know someone who likes Pasolini.

[kiddo]

Yeah. I talked to him to day actually, and I could borrow two of his films for now (he said he would bring them to school tomorrow), and that he had four in total. I can't wait!

[criterionmaster]

Awesome!

[kiddo]

One of them is Salo. That is all I know.

[Nomansvally]

you gotta hope the other one is "Il Vangelo Secondo Mattheo". A very powerful film, as I see it.

I want to check out Accattone...

[criterionmaster]

Salo! I am seriously on the edge of my seat waiting for your reaction. I have Accattone at my house but I am waiting before I watch it, MAYBE I will watch it soon though. I hear it is great.

[kiddo]

Watched my first Pasolini this other day, and here was my thoughts in the "rate the last film you watched"-thread:



Il Decameron (Pier Paolo Pasolini, '71)
A naked glance at humans' tendency to lie towards themselves and others. Visually beautiful at times, but some of the hand held camera feels unnecessary and poor. The film is divided into a large number of fragments, and although most of them are interesting, it all becomes a bit too incoherent for my taste. But at times this is amazing, and it's relieving to see something as naked and somewhat frank, as this. At times I was so interesting in what was going on, I was glued to the screen. In other episodes, I lost some interest. So, you can say it was a mixed experience. I'm therefore very much looking forward to see some more Pasolini (I've borrowed three more of his films from a friend of mine). A strong 6/10.

And I loved the last line! Can't find the line in English, so I'll try to translate it from norwegian:

SPOILER: Click to show

"Why make art when dreams are so sweet?"

Ok, so then I have these to watch the following days. Which should I watch today?

- I Racconti di Canterbury (The Canterbury Tales)
- Il Fiore delle mille e una notte (A Thousand and One Nights)
- Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom)

[criterionmaster]

Salo! I can't wait to hear your thoughts. The film is certainly going to fuck with you.

[captainofbeef]

Anything but Salo in my opinion. Only watch that if you enjoy sodomy. Though, I've never seen any of those films, so my opinion is kinda weak. ;D

[criterionmaster]

i just watched that documentary on this man, whoever says the truth shall die. it wasn't about him, as much as it was about his death, and what led to it. it spent a lot of time reading some of his poetry, which, while good, wasn't fully read, and just felt overdone, should have only been done like 3-5 times. his death is really an interesting one, originally said to be killed by one guy w/unknown accomplices, but after the cops did nothing to look for these people, a book came out about it, which had the court re-say that the guy caught was the sole criminal. pasolini's friends though, said otherwise, that pasolini was used to rough guys and would have never let this guy do this to him, not to mention the guy had no blood on him, and it would have been physically impossible to do alone. it is still an unsolved case to this day, although they would make you believe that it was a planned murder.

i am really interested in this man, and if you are, or even if you aren't really, this is still a well-made and interesting film, that is worth checking out. it is sad this guy's life was ended so early. pasolini once said that he made fairy-tales in his early years, for the kids, but then he told the kids, now grown, the truth with salo.

probably a strong 8/10.

[ie]

Thought you'd like to know that I picked up the DVD for Oedipus Rex yesterday from the library, saw it today and will be returning it tomorrow. It has some nice scenery from Morocco and it's decent enough, but it didn't really strike me. Just kinda... alright. Also, the DVD is really shitty; $25 (at Amazon) for a pathetic transfer is no good.

Oedipus Rex (or Edipo re) gets a 6/10 from the ie camp.

edit: First Pasolini, by the way.

[criterionmaster]

wow, i didn't suspect you would just go and rent a pasolini film, especially out of nowhere. what made you rent it, and out of everything you could rent? that is cool, though, sucks you didn't dig it too much, since then maybe you would be more interested in him and stuff. i haven't seen the film, and don't know much about it.

[ie]

Long and interesting story short, I was in the library, I came across it, I figured "I should check out a Pasolini" especially because I'm not in the capacity to watch Salo for a while, VHS tape. There were a couple other interesting movies there, but it just kind of stood out.

Well, I wasn't entirely impressed, but I wasn't put off by his material, so if I easily stumble across another of his movies, I might give it a shot.