Accattone
Accattone is a 1961 Italian drama film written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, and starring Franco Citti. It was Pasolini's first film as a director, as well as the acting debut for Citti, who would become a regular collaborator. It follows the life of Vittorio "Accattone" Cataldi, a pimp living on the outskirts of Rome.
The film premiered at the 22nd Venice International Film Festival, where it met with controversy over its provocative content, and was later withdrawn from general release over censorship, drawing condemnation from Pasolini and others. It was nonetheless critically acclaimed and earned three Nastro d'Argento nominations, including Best Director for Pasolini and Best Actor for Citti. Citti was also nominated for a BAFTA [Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor].
In 2008, the film was preserved by the Ministry of [Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism|Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage]’s 100 Italian films to be saved.
Plot
Vittorio Cataldi, nicknamed "Accattone", lives a relatively calm life as a pimp on the outskirts of Rome. However, his world is disrupted when a rival gang injures his prostitute, Maddalena, who ends up in prison due to false testimony. With his income gone and little interest in regular work, Accattone initially attempts to reconcile with the estranged mother of his child but faces rejection from her relatives.Turning to a simple working girl named Stella, Accattone endeavors to persuade her into prostitution. Despite her initial willingness, a traumatic encounter with her first client leaves her in tears, leading to her expulsion from the car. Accattone briefly tries working as an iron worker to support them, but he abandons the effort after just one day. Haunted by a dream of his own death, he turns to a life of theft with a few friends, ultimately meeting a tragic end in a traffic accident while attempting to evade the police on a stolen motorcycle.
Cast
Production
Development
The film was initially supposed to be produced by Federiz, a short-lived production company founded by Federico Fellini and Angelo Rizzoli. Test shoots were arranged to assess Pasolini's work as a debuting director, but the test was flunked by Rizzoli's main collaborator Clemente Fracassi and the project was dismissed. Tonino Cervi was also interested, but failed to convince Carlo Ponti to produce the film.Thanks to the efforts of Mauro Bolognini, who had previously collaborated with Pasolini and had been impressed by the film script, the project was eventually taken over by Alfredo Bini, who had just produced Bolognini's box office hit Il bell'Antonio, and who eventually involved prominent publisher Cino Del Duca in the film's funding.
Casting
The first choice for the title's role was Franco Interlenghi. Franco Citti, a non-actor who was working as a day laborer at the time, was cast because Pasolini appreciated his distinctly Roman features. Pasolini had strongly considered casting his friend Giorgio Cataldi, also a non-actor who later appeared in Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, but he was in jail at the time.In the neorealist tradition, the vast majority of the cast were also non-professional actors, for whom this was their first and/or only film role. One of the few professional actors was Adriana Asti, who played a prostitute, and later became a Pasolini regular. Pasolini cast fellow writers Adele Cambria and Stefano D'Arrigo in supporting roles. Popular character actor Polidor made a cameo appearance as a gravedigger in a dream sequence.
Paola Guidi voice was dubbed by an uncredited Monica Vitti, one of her early film works.
Filming
was an assistant director on the film, one of his earliest filmmaking credits. He would later describe the experience as his "film school."Music
In lieu of an original soundtrack, the film is scored by classical music by Johann Sebastian Bach, which Pasolini would later also draw on for The Gospel According to St. Matthew. Carlo Rustichelli was the musical director.Release
AccattoneThe film's certificate was withdrawn on November 22, 1961 following the intercession of Minister of Tourism and Entertainment. Federico Fellini publicly protested the censorship, one of the few overt political stances of his career, and producer Bini organized a roundtable featuring Fellini, Pasolini, and Giulio Carlo Argan.
Reception
Critical response
Critic Gino Moliterno, writing for Senses of Cinema magazine, described Accatone and its successor Mamma Roma as cinematic renditions of the world of the "borgate" of Pasolini's novels Ragazzi di vita and Una vita violenta. Nick Barbaro of The Austin Chronicle titled it the possibly grimmest film he had ever seen.Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 16 critics.