Pigpen (1969)
"Porcile" (original title)

Two dramatic stories. In an undetermined past, a young cannibal (who killed his own father) is condemned to be torn to pieces by some wild beasts. In the second story, Julian, the young son... See full summary »

Director:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Writer:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Stars:

Pierre Clémenti, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Alberto Lionello

Cast

Cast overview:
Pierre Clémenti	...	Young cannibal (as Pierre Clementi)
Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Julian Klotz (as Jean Pierre Leaud)
Alberto Lionello	...	Mr. Klotz
Ugo Tognazzi	...	Herdhitze
Anne Wiazemsky	...	Ida
Margarita Lozano	...	Madame Klotz (as Margherita Lozano)
Marco Ferreri	...	Hans Günther
Franco Citti	...	Cannibal
Ninetto Davoli	...	Maracchione

Storyline

Two dramatic stories. In an undetermined past, a young cannibal (who killed his own father) is condemned to be torn to pieces by some wild beasts. In the second story, Julian, the young son of a post-war German industrialist, is on the way to lie down with his farm's pigs, because he doesn't like human relationships.

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Plot Keywords:

pig | cannibal | industrialist | hyena | controversy | 

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Taglines:

I killed my father, I ate human flesh, and I quiver with joy.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

10 October 1969 (France)

Also Known As:

Pigsty

Filming Locations:

Aci Castello, Catania, Sicily, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

I Film Dell'Orso, Internazionale Nembo Distribuzione Importazione Esportazione Film (INDIEF), IDI Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Third part of Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Mythical Cycle" also including Oedipus Rex, Theorem and Medea.

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Goofs

In one of the shots related to the medieval cannibal plot, we see a dust cloud rising in the distance behind the characters. It is a car driving across the mountain landscape.

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Quotes

Young cannibal: I killed my father, I ate human flesh, and I quiver with joy.

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Connections

Follows Oedipus Rex (1967)

User Reviews

Quietly haunting

Porcile is one of those films that gets under your skin, and you're not sure why. The storyline unfolds in a style that is typically atypical of Pasolini; the tale of a college-aged son of a former Nazi isolating himself from everyone else (while encountering feelings that lend the film its title) is intertwined with that of a cannibalistic hermit from the Middle Ages. What results is a parallelistic criticism of modern society, not unlike Pasolini's earlier Teorema. The ending, which leaves an impact (although the actions take place off camera), is understated but undeniably chilling. Overall: 9/10