Pier Paolo Pasolini

"Pasolini" redirects here. For other people with that surname, see Pasolini (surname). For the 2014 film, see Pasolini (film).

Pier Paolo Pasolini
Pasolini in 1964
Pasolini in 1964
Born(1922-03-05)5 March 1922
Bologna, Kingdom of Italy
Died2 November 1975(1975-11-02) (aged 53)
Ostia, Italy
Occupation
  • Film director
  • novelist
  • poet
  • intellectual
  • journalist
Alma materUniversity of Bologna
Signature

Pier Paolo Pasolini (Italian: [ˈpjɛr ˈpaːolo pazoˈliːni]; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, film director, writer, actor and playwright. He is considered one of the defining public intellectuals in 20th-century Italian history, influential both as an artist and a political figure.[1][2][3][4] He is known for directing the films from Trilogy of Life (The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales and Arabian Nights) and Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom.

A controversial personality due to his straightforward style, Pasolini's legacy remains contentious. Openly gay while also a vocal advocate for heritage language revival, cultural conservatism, and Christian values in his youth, Pasolini became an avowed Marxist shortly after the end of World War II.[5] He began voicing extremely harsh criticism of Italian petty bourgeoisie and what he saw as the Americanization, cultural degeneration, and greed-driven consumerism taking over Italian culture.[6] As a filmmaker, Pasolini often juxtaposed socio-political polemics with an extremely graphic and critical examination of taboo sexual matters. A prominent protagonist of the Roman intellectual scene during the post-war era, Pasolini became an established and major figure in European literature and cinema.

Pasolini's unsolved and extremely brutal abduction, torture, and murder at Ostia in November 1975 prompted an outcry in Italy, where it continues to be a matter of heated debate. Recent leads by Italian cold case investigators suggest a contract killing by the Banda della Magliana, a criminal organisation with close links to far-right terrorism, as the most likely cause.[7]

  1. ^ "Il Dissenso di un Intellettuale: Pier Paolo Pasolini, a Cen". news-art.it (in Italian). Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  2. ^ Quarti, Matilde (18 November 2017). "La vita e i libri di Pier Paolo Pasolini, intellettuale corsaro". ilLibraio.it (in Italian). Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Pier Paolo Pasolini, l'uomo, l'artista, l'intellettuale: un volume in digitale dell'Espresso". la Repubblica (in Italian). 15 November 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Pasolini 100 anni intellettuale sempre più profetico - Libri - Approfondimenti". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 27 February 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference berlinale 1971 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Pier Paolo Pasolini: Cultural Hegemony. Film Analysis Robin Cross. College Film & Media Studies. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Plea to reopen Pasolini murder file presented". ANSA. 3 March 2023.