• Pasolini’s sixth feature, second in the “mythical cycle” following Oedipus Rex in 1967. Along with his debut Accattone, Teorema is Pasolini’s greatest achievement thus far in his career in 1968.
  • A very controversial film (name a Pasolini film that isn’t)—thumbs its nose at capitalism, religion— it contains nudity, and Pasolini points the camera right at Terence Stamp’s crotch for about 10 of the 98 minutes of the film

greens in the decor– every color and ornament chosen– and this is a very controversial film (name a Pasolini film that isn’t)—thumbs its nose at capitalism, religion— it contains nudity, and Pasolini points the camera right at Terence Stamp’s crotch for about 10 of the 98 minutes of the film

  • It opens with documentary footage (I can’t tell if it staged or real- kudos to Pasolini) discussing the new bourgeois in contemporary society. Pasolini then cuts to the volcanic desert dust of Mount Etna with the “God led his people away from the wilderness” line. He then starts the narrative in a black and white silent section… that ends. And then the color sound movie starts. Pasolini weaves the Mount Etna scenes in masterfully throughout the film—sometimes in a quick cutaway—others (like the finale) he stays there longer always with a specific transition in mind. It is masterful film form

Pasolini weaves the Mount Etna scenes in masterfully throughout the film—sometimes in a quick cutaway—others (like the finale) he stays there longer always with a specific transition in mind. It is masterful film form

  • In both Accattone and Mamma Roma we have dueling tracking shots of characters down a long road—Pasolini understands form. Here the cuts to the barren sand happens 8-10 times
  • Mozart’s requiem mass and Morricone providing the music—could it get any better? Again this is Pasolini undercutting religious music
  • Another one of Pasolini’s parables—this is largely the story of Christ (or an angel, or the devil) as Stamp (playing simply “the visitor”). He arrives (sunlight sometimes accompanying him), he stares at him with those blue eyes, he sleeps with the entire bourgeois family (mother, father, daughter, son, maid), they all confess to him, and then he simply leaves (after what could be 3 days or so).  Pasolini uses “you have seduced me O, Lord” in the text. I believe he’s working against the Biblical epics that were so popular in Hollywood in the late 1950’s and 1960’s and even films like De Sica’s Miracle in Milan.

Another Pasolini parable—this is largely the story of Christ (or an angel, or the devil) as Stamp (playing simply “the visitor”). He arrives (sunlight sometimes accompanying him)

  • At the 9-minute mark- the door frames our view for a crisp composition—Stamp is introduced in a crowd- he’s wearing all white
  • The film would make a very nice double-billing with Bunuel’s The Exterminating Angel, or with Bong’s Parasite or Lanthimos’ Dogtooth—that house looks like Parasite, we’re talking about class and the ridiculous behavior of the bourgeois – they are rich, devout (to what I believe Pasolini would put forward is a false god)

The film would make a very nice double-billing with Bunuel’s The Exterminating Angel, or with Bong’s Parasite or Lanthimos’ Dogtooth—that house looks like Parasite, we’re talking about class and the ridiculous behavior of the bourgeois

  • A wild movie- the maid goes back to her peasant village and is worshipped—Pasolini doesn’t openly mock them as much as Bunuel would. She levitates, she’s buried alive…
  • Greens everywhere- the maid’s hair turns green, the lawn, green ukulele, green photo album, the lawn could be pained green it is so green (like Antonioni’s Blow-Up), the décor, gates, clothes, the ivy covering the white mansion, the cars
  • The daughter in bed at the 59-minute mark is another wall-in-a-museum composition. She’s almost paralyzed. It is Dreyer’s Ordet– minimal and symmetrical (and holy). The actress here is Anne Wiazemsky from Au Hasard Balthazar by Bresson—I wonder if that is a comment by Pasolini himself (Bresson has a donkey playing the Christ role)

The actress here is Anne Wiazemsky from Au Hasard Balthazar by Bresson—I wonder if that is a comment by Pasolini himself (Bresson has a donkey playing the Christ role)

It is Dreyer’s Ordet– minimal and symmetrical (and holy)

  • A nice interlude of the maid shot in profile 4-5X—the line of trees in the road- there are 15-20 crisp painterly frames

Along with his debut Accattone, Teorema is Pasolini’s greatest achievement thus far in his career in 1968.

  • After sleeping with a man in a ditch—the mother (played by Silvana Mangano back from Oedipus Rex) is a jaw-dropping composition. It is at the 84 minutes, there’s a statue of a Pope, the yellow building, and Christ is up on top of the building above her. This harkens back to the single best shot of Accattone as Citti’s titular character of flanked by a mural of God. There isn’t anything in Pasolini’s work leading up to this to prepare you for the visual beauty of Teorema
  • A long tracking shot through an Italian train station shot for real (the footage looks a little grainier than the rest, so I think it actually happened). The father strips, and then Pasolini cuts to the Mount Etna desert formal tying bind – the film ends—angrily, as the father, naked, screams at God in the mountain/volcano— the audio carries over as the black screen cuts to “fine”

The father strips, and then Pasolini cuts to the Mount Etna desert formal tying bind – the film ends—angrily, as the father, naked, screams at God in the mountain/volcano— the audio carries over as the black screen cuts to “fine”

  • A very honest review where Ebert has a hard time finding words to describe the film but he’s impressed—worth seeking out
  • A must-see / masterpiece border film- leaning masterpiece