Teorema (1968)

A mysterious young man seduces each member of a bourgeois family. When he suddenly leaves, how will their lives change?

Director:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Writer:

Pier Paolo Pasolini (screenplay)

Stars:

Silvana Mangano, Terence Stamp, Massimo Girotti

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited 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	...	Il ragazzo alla stazione
Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia	...	Second boy (as Ivan Scratuglia)
Alfonso Gatto	...	Doctor

Storyline

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. After he's gone, none of them can continue living as they did. Who was that visitor ? Could he be God ?

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Plot Keywords:

sexuality | visitor | homosexual | homosexuality | bourgeoisie | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

27 November 1968 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Teorema

Filming Locations:

16 Via Palatino, Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aetos Produzioni Cinematografiche

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 99 min (cinema release) (1971)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the 1968 Venice Film Festival, the film was given an award by the International Catholic Film Office. The award was withdrawn after critical remarks by Pope Paul VI. After the festival the film was confiscated by Italian police and Pasolini charged with obscenity, but acquitted.

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Quotes

Lucia, the mother: Who is that boy?

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Connections

References The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)

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Soundtracks

Fruscio Di Foglie Verdi
Composed and arranged by Ennio Morricone
Lyrics by Audrey Nohra
Performed by Trio Junior
Orchestra conducted by Bruno Nicolai

User Reviews

There's something haunting about "Teorema"...

"There are only 923 words spoken in "Teorema" - but it says everything!", brags the tagline. It makes some sense, since Pasolini's film feels like a rhythmic visual poem with scattered dialogue. "Teorema" looks and feels like a haunting silent film integrated with sparse dialogue - failed attempts of communication and change among the characters.

A beautiful and enigmatic visitor (a young Terence Stamp, one of the intriguing, almost androgynous cult sex figures of the 60's, along the lines of a Udo Kier and others) seduces and then leaves each member of a bourgeois family. The father (Massimo Girotti, of Visconti's "Ossessione"), the mother (Silvana Mangano, "Death in Venice"), the daughter (Anne Wiazemsky, of Bresson's "Au Hasard Balthazar" and Godard's then wife), the son (Andrés José Cruz Soublette) and even the housemaid (Laura Betti, best actress at the Venice Film Festival for this performance) are all altered by the visitor's sexual presence in their lives, and each will try to find salvation or catharsis once they're abandoned. Their ways can be seen as an allegory of the fears and misconceptions of those trapped in their own conventions, and the tragic consequences of their failed attempts to get away - after the visitor, an hedonistic angel of death, tricked them with false hopes of sexual and emotional liberation. At least, that's how I see it - which I wouldn't dare to claim as an ultimate view on it. As enigmatic and haunting the images in "Teorema" are, they ask for repeated viewings. And just the fact that they give you enough interest for a second look, it's quite a feat. An interesting, cerebral cinematic exercise, to say the least. 8.5/10.