Pasolini's Trilogy of Life
The Decameron – The first of the Trilogy of Life films, The Decameron tells ten stories based on fourteenth-century originals. Full of bawdy, earthy spirit, the film romps through its tales of sex and death – of lusty nuns and priests, cuckolded husbands, murdered lovers and grave-robbers – with five of the stories linked by the character of an intriguing artist, played by Pasolini himself.
The Canterbury Tales – The second part of the Trilogy of Life is based on the fourteenth-century stories of Geoffrey Chaucer. Plunging with gusto into some of the blackest and bawdiest of the tales, Pasolini celebrates almost every conceivable form of sexual act with a rich, earthy humour. A particular delight is the use of a largely British cast, including Hugh Griffith, Jenny Runacre and Tom Baker, which Pasolini himself takes the part of Chaucer.
Arabian Nights – The final part of Pasolini’s Trilogy of Life series was two years in the making. The locations – Yemen, Ethiopia, Iran and Nepal – form a rich, exotic backdrop to these tales of slaves and kings, potions, betrayals, demons and, most of all, love and lovemaking in all its myriad forms. Engrossing, mysterious, profound and liberating, Arabian Nights is an exquisitely dreamlike, sensuous and adult interpretation of the original folk tales.
Pasolini's Trilogy of Life content on DVD Times:
The Canterbury Tales – The second part of the Trilogy of Life is based on the fourteenth-century stories of Geoffrey Chaucer. Plunging with gusto into some of the blackest and bawdiest of the tales, Pasolini celebrates almost every conceivable form of sexual act with a rich, earthy humour. A particular delight is the use of a largely British cast, including Hugh Griffith, Jenny Runacre and Tom Baker, which Pasolini himself takes the part of Chaucer.
Arabian Nights – The final part of Pasolini’s Trilogy of Life series was two years in the making. The locations – Yemen, Ethiopia, Iran and Nepal – form a rich, exotic backdrop to these tales of slaves and kings, potions, betrayals, demons and, most of all, love and lovemaking in all its myriad forms. Engrossing, mysterious, profound and liberating, Arabian Nights is an exquisitely dreamlike, sensuous and adult interpretation of the original folk tales.
Pasolini's Trilogy of Life content on DVD Times:
| The Decameron Blu-Ray Review Noel Megahey takes a look at the first film in Pasolini's Trilogy of Life, an adaptation of Boccaccio's bawdy and irreverent stories, restored and brought to High Definition by the BFI. |
| The Canterbury Tales Blu-Ray Review Pasolini's comes to Britain in his second film in the Trilogy of Life and appropriately finds little but smut in his adaptation of Chaucer. Noel Megahey reviews the BFI's Blu-ray release. |
| Arabian Nights Blu-Ray Review No Aladdin, Sinbad or Shahrazad in the final part of Pasolini's Trilogy of Life but rather a celebration of human love and sexuality found in some of the 1001 tales. Noel Megahey reviews the BFI's Blu-ray release. |