Teorema (1968)

Director:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Writers:

Pier Paolo Pasolini (novel)
Pier Paolo Pasolini (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 September 1968 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

There are only 923 words spoken in "Teorema" - but it says everything!

Plot:

A strange visitor in a wealthy family. He seduces the maid, the son, the mother, the daughter and finally the father before leaving a few days after...

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Christ Allegory | Male Nudity | Politics | Religion

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Silvana Mangano	...	Lucia, the mother
Terence Stamp	...	The Visitor
Massimo Girotti	...	Paolo, the father
Anne Wiazemsky	...	Odetta, the daughter
Laura Betti	...	Emilia, the servant
Andrés José Cruz Soublette	...	Pietro, the son
Ninetto Davoli	...	Angelino - the Messenger
Carlo De Mejo	...	Boy
Adele Cambria	...	Emilia - the second servant
Luigi Barbini	...	Boy at the station
Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia	...	Second boy (as Ivan Scratuglia)
Alfonso Gatto	...	Doctor

Also Known As:

Theorem

Runtime:

105 min | Australia:104 min | Germany:97 min | Finland:99 min (cinema release) (1971)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian | English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:(Banned) (original rating) | Italy:VM18 (re-rated) | Spain:18 | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1994) | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:16 (bw) | Brazil:18

Filming Locations:

Cascina Torre Bianca, Pavia, Lombardia, Italy

Company:

Aetos Produzioni Cinematografiche

Trivia:

Second part of Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Mythical Cycle" also including Edipo re (1967), Porcile (1969) and Medea (1969).

Movie Connections:

References Il vangelo secondo Matteo (1964)

Soundtrack:

Tears for Dolphy

Proof?

When it was released,"teorema" caused a scandal (but not as huge as "Salo" seven years later).However,it won the Catholic Office of Cinema prize.How come? Maybe because sex is these people's road of Damascus.The Angel,played by Terence Stamp,might one of the two messengers who came to Sodom in order to warn Lot.Some claimed that Pasolini wanted to reconcile Christians and Marxists:it is not impossible,considering the father's (Massimo Girotti) attitude who divests himself of all that he possesses.But as for the other characters,I do not think that the proof is really convincing. Finally,Pasolini is more talented when he tackles myths and religions ("Gospel according to St Matthews","Medea","Oedipe Re")and those flicks tell us more about our "modern" behaviors than something as far-fetched as "teorema".

NB:"Teorema" was deemed so scandalous that the trailer did not show any scenes of the movie but consisted of the cast and credits over an almost white screen (or maybe one picture of Stamp and Mangano).