The Canterbury Tales (1972)

Pasolini's artistic, sometimes violent, always vividly cinematic retelling of some of Chaucer's most erotic tales.

Director:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Writers:

Pier Paolo Pasolini (screenplay), Geoffrey Chaucer (book) (as G. Chaucer)

Stars:

Hugh Griffith, Laura Betti, Ninetto Davoli

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hugh Griffith	...	Sir January (segment the Merchant's Tale)
Laura Betti	...	The Wife from Bath
Ninetto Davoli	...	Perkin
Franco Citti	...	The Devil
Josephine Chaplin	...	May (segment the Merchant's Tale)
Alan Webb	...	Old Man (segment the Pardoner's Tale)
Pier Paolo Pasolini	...	Geoffrey Chaucer (Wraparound Segment)
J.P. Van Dyne	...	The Cook (Wraparound Segment)
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	The Franklin (Wraparound Segment)
Adrian Street	...	Fighter (Wraparound Segment)
Orla Pederson	...	Pilgrim (Wraparound Segment) (as OT)
Derek Deadman	...	The Pardoner (Wraparound Segment) (as Derek Deadmin)
Nicholas Smith	...	Friar (Wraparound Segment)
George Bethell Datch	...	Host of the Tabard (Wraparound Segment) (as George B. Datch)
Dan Thomas	...	Nicholas (segment the Miller's Tale)

Storyline

Pasolini's artistic, sometimes violent, always vividly cinematic retelling of some of Chaucer's most erotic tales.

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Plot Keywords:

male full frontal nudity | erotica | male pubic hair | male rear nudity | strong sexual content | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | History

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Certificate:

NC-17

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

30 May 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Canterbury Tales

Filming Locations:

Layer Marney Tower, Tiptree, Essex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Productions Artistes Associés,Produzioni Europee Associate (PEA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min 140 min (premiere)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer Alberto Grimaldi, cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli and composer Ennio Morricone all previously worked together on Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).

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Goofs

Some of the women have tan-lines from bikinis.

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Quotes

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

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Alternate Versions

The original UK cinema version was cut by the BBFC with edits to anal sex shots, a man being whipped, and Rufus urinating on the crowd during the 'Pardoner's Tale' segment for an 'X' certificate. The cuts were fully restored in 2001 and the certificate downgraded to a '15'.

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Connections

Featured in Mauvaise fille (2012)

User Reviews

Superb Film

I'm rather bemused by some of the negative comments above. This film - in my humble opinion - is one of the greatest ever made, and my personal favourite of all P.P. Pasolini's. Pasolini brings life to Chaucer in a way my poor teachers at school could never have dared. In the film, Pasolini casts himself as Chaucer; daydreaming, laughing at his own tales, being berated by his wife. And therein lies the clue to this film. It's not just an interpretation of the Canterbury Tales, it's a portrayal of its author. For all claims of "smut" (see above), I can honestly say that your imagination must be pretty dull not to laugh at certain earthy, dream-like scenes. Absolutely non of the scenes in this movie can be branded as bad-taste. They're absolutely accurate. Pasolini showed deep understanding of the English psyche throughout; the examples are too numerous to mention. If you're looking for an explanation of The Canterbury Tales, you won't find it in this film. But if you're looking for how to go about interpreting it for yourself, you'll find no better. This movie is one that I will keep, and you can bet my kids are going to see it when they get a little older too.