Pasolini Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Pasolini Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 18, 2019

Nominated for Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, Abel Ferrara's "Pasolini" (2014) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; filmed conversation between Abel Ferrara and Willem Dafoe; and behind the scenes featurette. The release also arrives with a 10-page illustrated bookilet featuring an essay by critic Brad Stevens and technical credits. In English, Italian, and French, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

"I work my violence so I can get what I want. Why do I want it? Because they have told me it is a virtue to want it. I'm expressing my right, my virtue. I'm an assassin and a good man."

Cult director Abel Ferrara’s latest film, Pasolini, is a lot easier to criticize for what it is not than defend for what it is. It is the reason why once again there are two very vocal camps of critics that have been arguing that their take on Ferrara's film is the right one.

The film chronicles the final hours of Pasolini’s life in the only way that makes sense to Ferrara -- by stripping Pasolini of his glamour and showing his most vulnerable side rather than analyzing the exact events that led to his unsolved murder. It is an unusually bold, borderline surreal idea, and this is exactly how the film looks and feels -- like a surreal dream in which a mythical figure is temporarily brought back to condemn one last time the flawed world he exited years ago.

From afar Pasolini appears calm and relaxed, but when he talks one can sense the anger in his voice. He has just completed Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom and feels trapped between two different worlds -- one in which he has dangerous powers and can humiliate and hurt at will, and another in which he is a mortal rebel whose words won’t make a difference; both are ugly and unjust, filled with people who lack the courage to rise up and break free.

Both worlds are filmed similarly, with an emphasis on dark and muted colors. The sun has disappeared and the skies have turned black. The big cities have purged themselves and brought to the surface everything that they have been hiding in the shadows -- the prostitutes, the thieves and the murderers, the liars that would create stories for the political leaders that would attempt to rewrite history, the dirt that the rain never washed away. They are worlds that have started crumbling without anyone caring that the end is near.

In the midst of the chaos and decadence Pasolini sticks out. He is the voice of reason, someone who can see clearly, who understands how corrupt the entire system is. But he is alone and misunderstood, a man who most everyone sees as an eccentric rather than a visionary.

Ferrara ends the film abruptly and one is left pondering Pasolini’s persona as much as the world in which he emerged. Throughout the film Pasolini frequently describes it and why it has started to fall apart, how the people lost their identity and became machines. They are deeply unsettling descriptions that make one slowly realize how similar the modern world is -- defined by the same lies and hypocrisy, brought to its knees by the same flawed ideologies and dangerous ambitions.

Dafoe is perfectly cast as Pasolini. The similarity is truly striking, but it is Dafoe’s relaxed and completely natural presence in front of the camera that impresses the most. The cast also includes Maria de Medeiros (Laura Betti), Riccardo Scamarcio (Ninetto Davoli), Giada Colagrande (Graziella Chiarcossi), and the great Adriana Asti (Pasolini's mother, Susanna).

Ferrara shot the film with Italian cinematographer Stefano Falvene. The two previously collaborated on the period thriller Mary, with Juliette Binoche and Matthew Modine.

Pasolini Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Abel Ferrara's Pasolini arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

As expected, this release is sourced from the same digital master that the BFI used to produce their Region-B release of the film in 2015. (If you click on the link, you will see some specific technical details about the lensing of the film in our review). So, the basic characteristics of the technical presentation are identical. The film still looks quite dark and boasts some very particular types of shadows and shadow nuances. Color balance is identical as well. Image stability is excellent. Now on this release I did not see the artifacts that I mentioned in the other review. There is one particular sequence -- the lunch that you can see in screencapture #2 -- where before I could see a few things, but on this release I could not spot them. (See the drawer on the bottom right end). Regardless, this film is quite dark and I am fairly confident that most people will not notice the cosmetic improvement. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Pasolini Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with a few sporadic exchanges in French and Italian). Optional English and English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I revisited the film with the 5.1 track. I am pretty sure that this film actually has a fully-digital soundtrack, so the lossless track basically reproduces all of its native qualities. Clarity, depth, and stability are excellent. There are no dynamic contrasts that would leave a lasting impression.

Pasolini Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Pasolini. In English, French, and Italian, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. (3 min, 1080p).

• Abel Ferrara and Willem Dafoe in Conversation - in this featurette, Abel Ferrara and Willem Dafoe explain what inspired them to join forces and do Pasolini and discuss the real Pasolini and many of the truths, half-truths, and lies that have defined his image over the years. In English, not subtitled. (22 min, 1080p).

• Behind the scenes of 'Pasolini' - this short featurette offers a glimpse at the shooting of different segments from Pasolini. In English and Italian, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (6 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - 10-page illustrated booklet featuring critic Brad Stevens' essay "We're All In Danger: Abel Ferrara's Pasolini" and technical credits.

Pasolini Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It feels appropriate that someone as controversial and as frequently rejected as maverick American director Abel Ferrara would shoot a film about Pier Paolo Pasolini. It is a bold and very unusual project that chronicles the final hours of Pasolini's life without attempting to rehash old speculations and popular half-truths. This is the reason why it actually works -- it gives one an opportunity to temporarily enter Pasolini's reality and reexamine many of his divisive ideas from an entirely different angle. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.