Comizi d'amore (1965)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Writer:

Pier Paolo Pasolini (writer)

Release Date:

5 May 1965 (Italy)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Microphone in hand, Pier Paolo Pasolini asks Italians to talk about sex: he asks children where babies come from...

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Italian | Brothel | Virginity | Culture Conflict

Cast

Pier Paolo Pasolini	...	Himself - Interviewer
Lello Bersani	...	Speaker (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ignazio Buttita	...	Himself
Adele Cambria	...	Herself
Camilla Cederna	...	Herself
Graziella Chiarcossi	...	The Bride
Peppino Di Capri	...	Himself
Oriana Fallaci	...	Herself
Graziella Granata	...	Herself
Antonella Lualdi	...	Herself
Alberto Moravia	...	Himself
Cesare Musatti	...	Himself
Giuseppe Ungaretti	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Assembly of Love
Love Meetings

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM18 (cinema release) (1965)

Filming Locations:

Naples, Campania, Italy

Company:

Arco Film

Movie Connections:

Followed by Comizi d'amore 2000 (2000)

Good Interviews

Comizi d'amore (1965)

*** (out of 4)

Pasolini travels around Italy throwing a mic into various ranges of people asking frank and honest questions about sexuality. Various topics ranging from homosexuality, prostitutes, divorce, sexual freedom and even asking kids where babies come from. The type of people range from college students to the rich and poor and to women who normally can't speak openly. I'm sure this film was more of a sensation when originally released but I think it holds up quite well today for several reasons. For one, it's interesting to look back over forty-years ago and see how young people at the times thought about sex but also how the older people back then looked back on the moral and religious rules of their youth. The film also holds up well today because things really haven't changed too much whenever you really break down the groups of people like Pasolini did. I'm not sure is there was a point to this documentary as it seems like the director simply wanted to know what the country felt on certain issues. There's a lot of humor to be found in the film but most of this comes from the answers the children give about where babies come from. The most interesting thing, knowing that the director was gay, is him asking people about homosexuality and the answers they give him. Most people reply with disgust and I kept wondering if the director would crack and say something but he never does. I think the film goes on a bit too long but it's an interesting look at sexuality on moral and religious aspects.