The Canterbury Tales (1972) I racconti di Canterbury (original title)

Director:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Writers:

Pier Paolo Pasolini (screenplay)
Geoffrey Chaucer (book)

Release Date:

30 May 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Middle Ages | Stabbed To Death | Priest Having Sex With A Woman | Market | Written And Directed By Cast Member

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Hugh Griffith	...	Sir January
Laura Betti	...	The Wife from Bath
Ninetto Davoli	...	Perkin
Franco Citti	...	The Devil
Josephine Chaplin	...	May
Alan Webb	...	Old Man
Pier Paolo Pasolini	...	Geoffrey Chaucer
J.P. Van Dyne	...	The Cook
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	The Franklin
Adrian Street	...	Fighter
O.T.	...	Chief Witch-Hunter (as OT)
Derek Deadman	...	The Pardoner (as Derek Deadmin)
Nicholas Smith	...	Friar
George Bethell Datch	...	Host of the Tabard (as George B. Datch)
Dan Thomas	...	Nicholas
Michael Balfour	...	John the carpenter
Jenny Runacre	...	Alison
Peter Cain	...	Absalom
Daniele Buckler	...	Witch Hunter (as Daniel Buckler)
John Francis Lane	...	Greedy friar
Settimo Castagna	...	Angel (as Settimio Castagna)
Athol Coats	...	Rich homosexual
Judy Stewart-Murray	...	Alice
Tom Baker	...	Jenkin
Oscar Fochetti	...	Damian
Willoughby Goddard	...	Placebo
Peter Stephens	...	Justinus
Giuseppe Arrigio	...	Pluto (as Giuseppe Arrigo)
Elisabetta Genovese	...	Prosperine
Gordon King	...	Chancellor
Patrick Duffett	...	Alan
Eamann Howell	...	John
Tiziano Longo	...	Simkin the miller (as Albert King)
Eileen King	...	Simkin's wife
Heather Johnson	...	Molly
Robin Askwith	...	Rufus (as Robin Asquith)
Martin Whelar	...	Jack the Justice
John McLaren	...	Johnny the Grace
Edward Monteith	...	Dick the Sparrow
Kervin Breen
Franca Sciutto
Vittorio Fanfoni
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leonard S. Brooks	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Stephen Calcutt	...	The Groom (uncredited)
Philip Davis	...	2nd homosexual lover (uncredited)
Charles De la Tour	...	Inn-keeper (uncredited)
Francis De Wolff	...	The Bride's father (uncredited)
Michael Derrek	...	Robin (uncredited)
Andrew Dymock	...	Bill (uncredited)
V. Edwards	...	The Old Woman (uncredited)
Dorothy Everall	...	Perkin's mother (uncredited)
Diana Fisher	...	The Bride (uncredited)
Chris Greener	...	Sir Elephant (uncredited)
David Hatton	...	Poor homosexual (uncredited)
Judo Al Hayes	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Terry Hooper	...	L'allodoliere (uncredited)
Robert Brook Howard	...	Vicar of the Monestary (uncredited)
Karl Howman	...	1st homosexual lover (uncredited)
Richard Hughes	...	Administrator (uncredited)
Laurie Inch	...	Mary (uncredited)
Charlotte Kell	...	The Prioress (uncredited)
Pinky Martin	...	The Nun (uncredited)
Alan McConnell	...	Master Gervaso (uncredited)
Norman McGlen	...	Perkin's father (uncredited)
Peter McGregor	...	The Merchant (uncredited)
Hugh McKenzie-Bailey	...	Thomas (uncredited)
Roderick McLeod	...	Knight's Attendant (uncredited)
Anthony Moore	...	The Spy (uncredited)
Ken Muggleston	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Patrick Newell	...	Prior (uncredited)
Ray Parks	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Martin Philips	...	Martin (uncredited)
Selwyn Roberts	...	The Knight (uncredited)
Anita Sanders	...	Thomas' wife (uncredited)
Mary Stuart	...	Priest (uncredited)
Reg Stuart	...	4th Husband (uncredited)
Steve Whitton	...	Youth Without Name (uncredited)

Directed by
Pier Paolo Pasolini

Writing credits
Pier Paolo Pasolini		(screenplay)
Geoffrey Chaucer		(book of short stories: The Canterbury Tales) (as G. Chaucer)

Produced by
Alberto Grimaldi	....	producer

Original Music by
Ennio Morricone		(as Mº Ennio Morricone)

Cinematography by
Tonino Delli Colli

Film Editing by
Nino Baragli

Production Design by
Dante Ferretti

Set Decoration by
Ken Muggleston

Costume Design by
Danilo Donati

Makeup Department
Giancarlo De Leonardis	....	key hair stylist
Giancarlo De Leonardis	....	wig maker
Otello Sisi	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ennio Onorati	....	production manager
Alessandro von Norman	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Umberto Angelucci	....	assistant director
Sergio Citti	....	assistant director
Peter Shepherd	....	assistant director

Art Department
Carlo Agati	....	assistant designer

Sound Department
Massimo Anzellotti	....	sound effects editor
Gianni D'Amico	....	sound mixer
Primimiano Muratore	....	sound

Special Effects by
Luciano Anzellotti	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Mimmo Cattarinich	....	still photographer
Maurizio Lucchini	....	assistant camera
Claudio Sabatini	....	assistant camera
Carlo Tafani	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vanni Castellani	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Stephen Bearman	....	colorist
Anita Cacciolati	....	assistant editor
Ugo De Rossi	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ennio Morricone	....	music advisor (as Mº Ennio Morricone)
Pier Paolo Pasolini	....	music supervisor (as P.P. Pasolini)

Other crew
Beatrice Banfi	....	secretary
Adriano Magistretti	....	English production coordinator
Anthony Moore	....	production coordinator: UK
Ken Muggleston	....	interior designer
Peter Shepherd	....	assistant to director
Franca Tasso	....	production secretary
Marco Bellocchio	....	voice dubbing: John Francis Lane (uncredited)
Eduardo De Filippo	....	voice dubbing: Alan Webb (uncredited)
Francesco Leonetti	....	voice dubbing: George Bethell Datch (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Les Productions Artistes Associés
• Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA)

Distributors

• Aidart Distribution Company (1980) (USA) (theatrical) (English-track)
• Nova Film (1972) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United Artists Films (1973) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1973) (France) (theatrical) (as Les Artistes Associés)
• United Artists (1974) (non-USA) (theatrical)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• Atlantic Film (2009) (Finland) (DVD) (5-disc Pier Paolo Pasolini Collection)
• Criterion Collection, The (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Future Film (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1986) (Finland) (TV) (as MTV1)

Also Known As:

"I racconti di Canterbury" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

Argentina:112 min | USA:109 min (cut) | Italy:112 min | West Germany:140 min (Berlin Film Festival) (premiere) | France:118 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian | English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:X (original rating) | West Germany:16 | USA:NC-17 (re-rating) (1991) | Ireland:18 | Spain:18 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) (1988) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Finland:K-15 (cinema release) (1973) | Finland:K-18 (DVD rating) (2004) | UK:15 (video rating) (uncut) (2001) | France:18 | Netherlands:18 (orginal rating) | New Zealand:R18 | New Zealand:R16 (re-rating) (2002)

Filming Locations:

Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company:

Les Productions Artistes Associés

Trivia:

The line spoken by the angel in the last segment, "Vuolsi così colà dove si puote ciò che si vuole e più non dimandare" ("'It's will'd, where will and power are one. Ask thou no more"), is a quotation from Dante Alighieri's Inferno.

Quotes:

The Cook:Between a jest and a joke, many a truth can be told.

Movie Connections:

References The Circus (1928)

Pasolini dared to show the medieval era as extremely dirty, indecent, vulgar…

This is the second in Pasolini's series of setting classic bawdy tales to film… In this case, he selected eight of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, including the infamous miller's tale and the incident with the red hot poker kiss…

The tales revolve around a group of pilgrims who are journeying to the shrine of Saint Thomas a Becket of Canterbury… The trip is so boring that they begin telling each other stories that soon get obscene, gory and very sexy… Pasolini adds another motif to his visualization by placing Chaucer himself into the movie, periodically cutting to him writing at his desk...

Pasolini inserts pleasure and amusement at social customs, especially marriage… Some of the stories are funny, others are deadly serious… The scene where a young man is burned for making love to another of his own sex, for example, is chilling...

In fact, Pasolini's using non professional actors, is more in keeping with the tone of the original than the usual romanticized versions...