The Decameron

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A collection of bawdy tales from Boccaccio, adapted and directed by the taboo-busting Pier Paolo Pasolini--sounds irresistible, doesn't it? Pasolini approaches the material not like a literary classic to be reverently served, but rather as if the various anecdotes were episodes from scruffy, everyday life in medieval Italy, caught on the fly, like neighborhood gossip recounted in a taverna. The film is black-sheep kin to the director's amateur-theatrical take on Scripture, The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964); both films abound in earthy settings framing vivid faces that might have gazed out of a Renaissance painting. Yet where Gospel was searing, The Decameron is perfunctory. Most of the stories dribble away absentmindedly before they've even begun to establish a situation, let alone any tension. Pasolini himself reappears periodically as an artist--Giotto--planning an epic cathedral painting. At the end, he's still thinking about it and wondering, "Maybe it's enough to dream a masterpiece rather than paint it." Which seems a handy copout for not really making the film we've been trying to watch. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

Legendary Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini delivers nine exuberant tales in this "earthy, genuinely ribald and spicy" (Variety) film. Based on Boccaccio's timeless classicand the first in Pasolini's Trilogy of Life series - The Decameron is an uproariously "irreverent romp" (Variety) that's "positively jubilant in its naughtiness" (Films and Filming)! Lusty nuns who perform sexual "miracles," a cheating wife with a head for business, a dying con artist attempting a heavenly swindle, young lovers caught with their pants down, a servent who loses his head for love and a gullible farmer who tries to turn his wife into a mare. These are just some of the stories Pasolini vividly brings to life!

Customer Reviews:

Innocence, Earthy Humor and Lust for Life.......2007-04-15

Pasolini freely adapts ten or so episodes from Boccaccio's fourteenth century collection of hundred short stories. He interweaves the tales of happy or tragic lovers, naughty nuns and lusty priests, naive husbands and cheating but quick-witted wives, inept grave robbers, and a young gardener who got more than he had bargained for, with his own meditations on art, life, death and love. Pasolini himself plays a painter Giotto who observes the characters that inspire him to paint a fresco on the church's wall. In the end of the film Pasolini's Giotto comments that it may be better to dream about a work of art than to actually produce it.

"Decameron" is the first part of Pasolini's "Trilogy Of Life", which continues with adaptations of two other celebrated works of world fiction; "The Canterbury Tales" (1972) and the "Arabian Nights" aka "A Thousand and One Nights" (1974). All these books have been known as distinguished and revered works of literature that belong to the immortal classics. There are probably so many big volumes have been written about them that it would take more than a thousand and one days and nights to read them. They talk about love, death, the meaning of life, and religion but first and most of all - they entertain. At the time they were told and written down, no one would think of them as the future academic references. That's why they are so alive, earthy, coarse, and bold. I have not seen two other Pasolini's films but 'Decameron' captures the original spirit of Boccaccio's tales truthfully and with love, humanity, and perfect sense of the medieval Italy.

The film has a look of a renaissance painting - not only Italian Renaissance (Giotto) but Netherlandish Northern Renaissance - Peter Bruegel and Hieronymus Bosch.

Full of rustic comedy and innocence, earthy humor and lust for life -"Decameron" is one of the most optimistic, and celebrating life films ever made. Its sexuality is straightforward and honest, moving and not insulting. This film, my first Pasolini made me want to see the rest of the trilogy and the rest of his films.

4.5/5

like wine, like cheese, this film aged well.......2007-02-21

I discovered the Decameron as a teenager reading the Ribald Tales in Playboy magazine. They followed the centerfold, and decades later I remember them long after my memory of the playmates whose lip gloss matched the soap and towels faded. It led me to the book and to the film which I rediscovered in 2005 (on DVD). The actors are real Neopolitans, the background music comes from Alan Lomax's 1950s field recording of Italian folk music, and the staging and performances are guileless; full of joy, irony, and life. I have watched it many times, and show chapters to my classes at UCLA. The deaf mute in the convent paralels an episode from the tales of the Tibetan trickster, Uncle Thangba. The teen lovers on the cover are the greatest love story ever told, from the moment she asks for her first kiss and he says- lets do it first; until her parents come upon the sleeping lovers, his penis in her hand, and decide it is a good marriage match. This is a movie/DVD to cherish.

Not as good as I expected.......2005-08-18

Pasolini did a good job exploring the way people lived in the medieval Italy, but the drama was boring for me during most of the film.

THIS IS FROM PASSOLINE.......2004-06-18

Dont lost time by or if have time see this DVD is from PASSOLINE not have comentary You need by foe see!!!

Probably Pasolini's best.......2003-10-01

Pasolini's first film in his "Trilogy of Life". It tells nine separate tells from the book "The Decameron". All have a very ribald sense of humor and has a surprising amount (for an R rated film) of male and female nudity. Not for anyone who is easily offended but a fairly good film for those who are interested. Also there are a few really huge swipes at the Catholic Church--one story has a convent of nuns using a man to sexually satisfy all of them--and this is shown in a positive light!

Tokyo Decameron: Three Tales of Madness and Sensuality

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Three Strikes You're ON
Tokyo Decameron: Three Tails of Madness & Sensuality
Surprising But Unsettling

Tokyo Decameron: Three Tales of Madness and Sensuality
Starring: Kei Mizutani
Manufacturer: Asian Pulp Cinema
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005LPZM
Release Date: 2001-11-13

Description

Three disturbing erotic tales: Two Women Named Mariko: One woman is bound to the other's twisted desire. Lesbian Dream: Five women's vacation of playful lust turns terrifying with the discovery of a dead body. The Man in the Pillory: A dancer seeks revenge against the man who tortured and murdered her sister.

Customer Reviews:

Three Strikes You're ON.......2007-04-17

This is a good dvd which features 3 different story lines with some of the Best Japanese Actresses out there. The stories are entertaining and you don't really have to understand Japanese to understand what is going on in each of them. This is a sign of a good director. All three stories differ in characters and themes but there is one which contains Kei Mizutani called "TWO WOMEN NAMED MARIKO". So if you are a fan of Kei you can get it just for her but you won't be disappointed with the other stories.

Tokyo Decameron: Three Tails of Madness & Sensuality.......2002-12-19

This movie had an excellant chance to display it's female cast in all their Asian wonders. Some of the more interesting moments in this movie are down played by a lack of a correct camera angle or plot development. The "Rose Holder" is one that could have been something more than it was. Yet you see nothing that would make you believe that it was erotic. I love Asian movies but this one is not one to be added to anyone's collection.

Surprising But Unsettling.......2002-01-12

This film is, firstly, very well done. However, you should be forewarned that there is an uncomfortable level of brutality portrayed. While the physical portrayals of the violence and/or promiscuity are less graphic than I have seen in "R" rated films, it is the mental and emotional subjugaton, along with abuse, that is unsettling. What makes this especially unnerving is the productions refusal to take sides in what is being portrayed. The characters are neither right or wrong in their behavior.
This is why I rated it four stars. While I rather doubt it was the intention of the producers, this film forced me to look at things in a way I hadn't before. A prime example of this is from the first part of "Decamaron" in which a woman who's very attracted to a man (who's very attrached to her) tells him that if he loves her he will continue with a savage beating she receiving at the hands of another. There is a terrible prolonged moment as this guy teeters between giving the woman he loves what she wants and savagely whipping the woman he loves with a riding crop.
The entire tenure of this film runs along these lines. There is some fascinating camera work with light to add more of a depth than might otherwise be there. Just be ready, this is not like some late sixties/early seventies Marquis de Sade knock off, this is an assualt

Average customer rating:

Innocence, Earthy Humor and Lust for Life
like wine, like cheese, this film aged well
Not as good as I expected
THIS IS FROM PASSOLINE
Probably Pasolini's best

The Decameron
Starring: Vincenzo Amato , Salvatore Bilardo , Mirella Catanesi , Franco Citti , and Lino Crispo
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305079021
Release Date: 1998-05-20

Amazon.com

Description

Boccaccio's eight tales from 14th century Naples inlcude the seducing nuns, the three jealous borthers who murder their sister's lover, the wizard who could change his wife into a burro and the story of a false saint.

Customer Reviews:

Innocence, Earthy Humor and Lust for Life.......2007-04-15

like wine, like cheese, this film aged well.......2007-02-21

Not as good as I expected.......2005-08-18

Pasolini did a good job exploring the way people lived in the medieval Italy, but the drama was boring for me during most of the film.

THIS IS FROM PASSOLINE.......2004-06-18

Dont lost time by or if have time see this DVD is from PASSOLINE not have comentary You need by foe see!!!

Probably Pasolini's best.......2003-10-01

Collector's Classics: Once Upon a Book - Jane Eyre/Decameron Nights/Anna Karenina/David Copperfield

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Collector's Classics: Once Upon a Book - Jane Eyre/Decameron Nights/Anna Karenina/David Copperfield
Starring: Collectors Classics: Spaghetti Westerns
Manufacturer: Gladiator
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Spaghetti Western Collection

ASIN: B000F39QPW
Release Date: 2006-08-15

I Racconti Di Canterbury / The Canterbury Tales - (Russian Import - PAL DVD)

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I Racconti Di Canterbury / The Canterbury Tales - (Russian Import - PAL DVD)

Manufacturer: Film Prestige
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

- Film Prestige Collection
- Deluxe Digipak

ASIN: B000IGFWSQ

Product Description

NO ENGLISH SUBTITLES!!! Brand new and sealed, region free, Russian PAL DVD (not playable on standard US DVD players) edition. Available audio tracks: original DD 2.0 ITALIAN & DD 2.0 RUSSIAN (voice-over). ATTENTION: This is a PAL/Region free DVD. PAL is European video standard which WILL NOT play on regular R1 DVD player (multisystem PAL/NTSC compatible DVD player required). Please, get familiar with all details about DVD video standards and region coding to avoid any misunderstandings ............................................................SYNOPSIS: Italian director Pier Pasolini tells four of the Chaucer tales in this graphic and satirical picture that chronicles the 14th-century's social, sexual, and religious standards in England. In Pasolini's Trilogy of Life, this second entry follows The Decameron and precedes The Arabian Nights.

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The Decameron [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006BSO0

Average customer rating:

Innocence, Earthy Humor and Lust for Life
like wine, like cheese, this film aged well
Not as good as I expected
THIS IS FROM PASSOLINE
Probably Pasolini's best

The Decameron [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000095OBW

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Innocence, Earthy Humor and Lust for Life.......2007-04-15

like wine, like cheese, this film aged well.......2007-02-21

Not as good as I expected.......2005-08-18

Pasolini did a good job exploring the way people lived in the medieval Italy, but the drama was boring for me during most of the film.

THIS IS FROM PASSOLINE.......2004-06-18

Dont lost time by or if have time see this DVD is from PASSOLINE not have comentary You need by foe see!!!

Probably Pasolini's best.......2003-10-01

Average customer rating:

Innocence, Earthy Humor and Lust for Life
like wine, like cheese, this film aged well
Not as good as I expected
THIS IS FROM PASSOLINE
Probably Pasolini's best

The Decameron [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: B00005ATG2

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Innocence, Earthy Humor and Lust for Life.......2007-04-15

like wine, like cheese, this film aged well.......2007-02-21

Not as good as I expected.......2005-08-18

Pasolini did a good job exploring the way people lived in the medieval Italy, but the drama was boring for me during most of the film.

THIS IS FROM PASSOLINE.......2004-06-18

Dont lost time by or if have time see this DVD is from PASSOLINE not have comentary You need by foe see!!!

Probably Pasolini's best.......2003-10-01

Average customer rating:

Boccaccio 70 - Four directors'tales

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

* "The Raffle", written by Cesare Zavattini
* "The Job", written by Suso Cecchi
* "The Temptation of Dr. Antonio", directed by Federico Fellini
* "Renzo and Luciana", directed by Mario Monicelli

ASIN: B000M91UD0

Product Description

Released in the US by 20th Century-Fox, Boccaccio 70 is a compendium of short subjects directed by three of Italys top filmmakers. Each story is written in the style of the famed Italian essayist Boccaccio, albeit told in contemporary terms. First up is "The Raffle", written by Cesare Zavattini and directed by Vittorio De Sica: Sophia Loren (wife of Boccaccio 70 producer Carlo Ponti) plays the sexy operator of a shooting gallery, who offers herself as first prize to the best shot. In "The Job", written by Suso Cecchi DAmico and directed by Luchino Visconti, Romy Schneider carries a torch for her philandering boss Tomas Milian. The final segment is "The Temptation of Dr. Antonio", directed by Federico Fellini and scripted by Fellini, Ennio Flaiano and Tullio Pinelli; in this one, Anita Ekberg is an image on a poster who comes to life for the benefit of a drooling middle-aged professor (Peppino De Filippo). A fourth episode, "Renzo and Luciana", directed by Mario Monicelli, was cut from U.S. release.

Pier Paolo Pasolini Trilogy (Decameron, the Canterbury Tales, Arabian Nights) [Import, Region 4, in Italian with English Subtitles]

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Pier Paolo Pasolini Trilogy (Decameron, the Canterbury Tales, Arabian Nights) [Import, Region 4, in Italian with English Subtitles]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Region 4 NTSC Coding . Will NOT be viewable on US/Canada DVD Players. To preview the DVD you need Region 4 or Multi-Region DVD Player The Trilogy includes: Decameron (1971), The Canterbury Tales (1972) , Arabian Nights (1974)

DVD:

DVD

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