Screening Log

This new site feature is a collective effort to summarize our viewing habits. Occasionally, you will find titles here that are coming to a theater near you, in addition to films viewed on television, and even films viewed in piecemeal. The screening log is archived each month; to view past entries select a month in the menu below.


May 2007 activity

Total Log Entries: 39

Total Comments: 13


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Mamma Roma / Italy / 1962

RT did a write up of this some time ago. It’s Pasolini’s second film featuring life among Italian peasantry, specifically, Anna Magnani as the archetypal Mediterranean mother. It’s a full circle performance from Magnani, who’s turn in Rosellini’s Open City featured and symbolized a post-WWII matriarchal force. Here, she’s a former street walker attempting to make a new life with her teenage son. Pasolini emphasizes the tragedy inherent in Magnani’s situation, particularly, the self-perpetuating cycle of poverty and despair, to full effect here. He fuses the political and the artistic with iconic imagery, but was probably more successful (overall) with his next film, The Gospel Acoording To Saint Matthew.

by Marlin Tyree | Source: Criterion Collection
31 May 2007 7:08 PM | Submit Comment


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