Il fiore delle mille e una notte (1974)

Director:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Writers:

Pier Paolo Pasolini (writer)
Dacia Maraini (script collaboration)

Release Date:

20 June 1974 (Italy)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

Pier Paolo Pasolini's Tales of the Arabian Nights

Plot:

In this film inspired by the ancient erotic and mysterious tales of the Middle East, the main story...

Plot Keywords:

Demon | Love | Slave | Flashback Sequence | Arabia

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Ninetto Davoli	...	Aziz
Franco Citti	...	The Demon
Franco Merli	...	Nur Ed Din
Tessa Bouché	...	Aziza (as Tessa Bouche)
Ines Pellegrini	...	Zumurrud
Margareth Clémenti	...	Aziz's mother (as Margaret Clementi)
Luigina Rocchi	...	Aziz's wife
Alberto Argentino	...	Prince Shahzmah
Francesco Paolo Governale	...	Prince Tagi
Salvatore Sapienza	...	Prince Yunan
Zeudi Biasolo	...	Zeudi
Barbara Grandi
Elisabetta Genovese	...	Munis (as Elisabetta Vito Genovese)
Gioacchino Castellini
Abadit Ghidei	...	Princess Dunya

Also Known As:

A Thousand and One Nights
Arabian Nights (USA)
Flower of the Arabian Nights (International: English title)
Les mille et une nuits (France)

Runtime:

130 min | France:155 min (Cannes Film Festival) (premiere)

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM18 | Finland:K-18 (1974) (cut) | Spain:18 | France:-16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R | Hong Kong:III | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (2001) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:X (original rating) (1979) | West Germany:12 | USA:NC-17 (re-rating) (1991) | Singapore:(Banned) | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Eritrea

Company:

Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA)

Trivia:

This film is the final entry in director Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Trilogy of Life", following Il Decameron (1971) and I racconti di Canterbury (1972).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wie de Waarheid Zegt Moet Dood (1981)

Spellbinding and poetry made cinema

This is my favorite Pasolini film. This version of Arabian Nights does away with the slave girl telling a master tales: it tells the tale of a slave girl who outwits every man she contacts. First at the slave market she arranges to have herself bought by a young man instead of an old coot. Then she has to teach the man how to make love. Throughout the poem (it works better as visual poetry) Zummarud, the slave girl, gets into one mess after another with all kinds of men (kings, crooks, and governors): every time she outwits them. Along the way are various poetic tales of betrayal and justice (and other things.) Definitely not in the Aladdin vein and a masterpiece of cinema.