Pasolini | Abel Ferrara | NYFF 2014
In November 1975 Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini was brutally killed on a beach near Rome, run over by his own car twice. His murder remains one of the great mysteries in film history, and the final 36 hours of his life leading up to his death are the subject of Abel Ferrara’s latest picture.
Unfortunately, Ferrara doesn’t do any favors to those who are unfamiliar with the director, not providing much back or introduction of any sort. Ferrara is under the presumption that you’re well aware of Pasolini and his history. If he is not a familiar figure to you, Pasolini will be a muddy venture to sit through.
Pasolini is played by the always reliable Willem Dafoe, who really does look a great deal like the director. Dafoe gives a subdued introspective performance that isn’t flashy but certainly does the job. However, we aren’t given the privilege to connect with Pasolini, despite Dafoe’s great efforts to bring the character to life on screen. It’s a solid performance, but I never found myself drifting caring about the character, which is a major issue, considering the movie revolves around that notion. I felt detached from it all, constantly wondering what I was missing.
Ferrara gives us Pasolini in fragments: time spent with family, feeding young male prostitutes, and a crucial interview with Italian journalist Furio Colombo (Francesco Siciliano). Then there’s imagined bits of Pasolini’s unfinished film Porno-Teo-Kolossal thrown in between all of the reality. They feature Ninetto Davoli, who acted in several of Pasolini’s films, as well as being a former lover of his. While the sequences where the film are brought to life are admittedly rather intriguing, the way they are integrated into the picture wasn’t smooth. It’s a frustrating ride, because there are flashes of potential, but they’re never seen all the way out.
The highlight of the film is undoubtedly the interview with Colombo, where we get real insight into the directors mind. This scene is elegantly captured with a totally different tone and energy, telling us a great deal about the director in such a short amount of time. It’s a scene that I wish the rest of the film was able to emulate.
Unfortunately Ferrara’s Pasolini is a cold forgettable picture that made me feel rather indifferent to the titular character. By the time that the brutal and horrific death scene comes, it’s too little too late. It’s a frustrating film because it could have, and should have, been so much more. Pasolini deserved so much more.
Join the conversation