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Bookmark this pageThe Gospel According to St Matthew (1964)
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Certainly Pasolini's most satisfying movie, devoid both of the frequent lapses into pretentiousness that mar (for example) Theorem and Medea, and the sloppy editing and awkward acting of movies like The Decameron. The director's Catholicism and Marxism serve him well here as the Messiah is presented as a determinedly political animal fuelled by anger at social injustice, while the miracles are allowed to remain unexplained (but also never presented in terms of flashy special effects). The film's beauty, in fact, derives from its simplicity, with the Italian landscape (and non-professional actors) turned into a convincing milieu for the all-too-familiar goings-on by marvellous monochrome camerawork. And Pasolini's use of music, from Bach to Billie Holiday, is astounding.Author: GA
User reviews of this film
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- Technoguy said...
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Posted on Aug 07 2008 11:19
An amazing document utlizing material from Mathew's
Gospel using unknown actors and non-acting native people and
filmed in and around villages in southern Italy.This is
Pasolini at his peak burning with Marxist anger,bringing a very real aesthetic to bear using a very
political and believable Christ. This is the only Christ
we deserve in the modern world. - Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Producer: Alfredo Bini
Cast: Enrique Irazoqui, Margherita Caruso, Susanna Pasolini, Marcello Morante, Mario Socrate full cast
Duration: 142 mins
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