Pier Paolo Pasolini, that's the man!

Advantages: Some great artworks...
Disadvantages: ... become disturbing when you think of them too much

...Il Decameron (1970) ►►►main menu◄◄◄ 1. Play film 2. Select chapter 3. Also available: other films by the same director that are available on DVD. 4. Director?s biography 5. Weblink: www.bfi.org.uk ►►►language◄◄◄ Italian with English subtitles. ►►►running time◄◄◄ 107 minutes. ►►►chapter division◄◄◄ PART I: Ciappelletto 2. Ciappelletto the Murderer Andreuccio 3. (i) discovers a sister 4. (ii) encounters grave-robbers Convent Stories 5. (iii) The tale of a veil 6. (iii) The gardener 7. Peronella 8. Ciappelletto the Saint PART II: The Artist 9. ?Giotto?s best pupil? 10. Ricardo and Caterina 11. Isabetta and Lorenzo 12. Don Gianni?s mare 13. Sex, sin...

sottovoce82 21.05.2007 (29.05.2007) · Read review
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Review of The Decameron (DVD)

best holiday ever

Advantages: staff members, food, drinks
Disadvantages: rooms

...i went to runaway bay royal decameron club over the summer at the end of june with my mum and dad and had best time ever, i know that some people might complain about the cleanliness about the cottages, but as i think everything was just brilliant, could of been little bit more cleaner, but what do you want from 3 star resort and you are not gonna spend most of time in yuor cottage anyways. so once we got to resort all the people were so friendly and happy in there, weather was nice and hot and in reception area we had drinks ready for us, what made it more perfect, then once you get checked in you get someone to help you with the luggage, but make sure you tip the guys so they remember you and help you next time =] i made so many friends in there and all the staff members were just brilliant, specially the bar man jerome, love him...

mizzjena 02.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Royal Decameron Club Caribbean, Runaway Bay

'Saturday' Plus Another Nine Days

Advantages: Has its good moments
Disadvantages: Has less than good ones too

...Fifteen years ago Jane Smiley wrote a Pulitzer prize-winning novel, "A Thousand Acres", inspired by Shakespeare's "King Lear". This book takes the same approach of pinching inspiration from elsewhere, but not from where you might immediately think. Ian McEwan's 2005 novel "Saturday" covers the same theme as Ten Days In The Hills (the Iraq war) and manages to do so within the course of a single day, 15 Feb 2003, when the big anti-war demonstration was held in London. Smiley, however, is American, so her version is bigger though not neccesarily better. Her 464 pages cover a longer period - those 10 days mentioned in the title in fact - at the start of the Iraq war at the end of March 2003. This time, her literary inspiration is Giovanni Boccaccio's classic "The Decameron", where 7 rich young ladies plus 3 young noblemen, linked by family...

zoe_page 17.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Ten Days in the Hills - Jane Smiley

Pier Paolo Pasolini, Again and Again!

Advantages: "Between a jest and a joke?
Disadvantages: ? many a truth can be told."

...the stories in this film than it is with The Decameron and Arabian Nights. Every now and then you get a glimpse of Geoffrey Chaucer as he is writing his book with great enjoyment. My following summary (I do not know if the ***SPOILER WARNING*** is necessary here, for most people are familiar with these folktales, but just in case) is represented in a way that shows each of the 8 main anecdotes on its own. ■ 1st Anecdote: ▪ The opening scene takes place in the market with all the noise, merriment and sometimes misery that you may encounter there, and this, as far as I see, is a suitable introduction. A rich, old man chooses a young woman to become his wife. Not impressed by this old husband and his sexual potency, the girl tries to meet a young man who expressed his love to her. The man becomes blind all of a sudden, yet...

sottovoce82 10.06.2007 (05.08.2007) · Read review
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Review of The Canterbury Tales (DVD)

Pier Paolo Pasolini, Again!

Advantages: The somewhat different interpretations of a familiar story?
Disadvantages: ?might disturb us at first.

...this; many of the people charmed by it never rest till it is finished. ►►►director◄◄◄ Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922 ?1975) was an Italian poet, novelist, playwright, journalist, linguist, film director, philosopher and actor. The director?s biography section on this DVD sheds more light on the artist?s turbulent life and mysterious death. Among his most famous films in addition to Il Decameron are Arabian Nights and The Canterbury Tales. His most controversial film remains to be Salò which is based on Marquis de Sade?s The 120 Days of Sodom. ►►►actors◄◄◄ Pasolini does not appear as an actor in Arabian Nights, and yes, if you watch The Decameron and Canterbury Tales before watching this film, you will miss his presence. Most actors in this film are amateurs...

sottovoce82 01.06.2007 (02.06.2007) · Read review
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Review of Arabian Nights (Subtitled) (DVD)

The Passion of the First Evangelist

Advantages: It is a real and sincere film
Disadvantages: Some silent moments, something in the soundtrack, and the devil

...?" she does not grieve or frown, but peacefully accepts that he has more important things to do. At the time of the crucifixion she never utters a word and yet she does not cry; she simply smiles when she sees that her son's tomb is empty. By presenting her as such, Pasolini manages to keep Virgin Mary as a beautiful image in the background; an image which is probably reminiscent of the Madonna in his The Decameron. It is the kind of powerfully serene image that makes you say: now I know why God chose Mary. I think that was simple and expressive. One thing more, the woman who plays the role of Mary in her older years is the director's mother, Susanna Pasolini. Do I have to mention here how much he used to love his mother? In regard to the rest of the cast, and as is the case with Pasolini's other films, he chose amateurs. The lead (Enrique...

sottovoce82 05.08.2007 (28.10.2007) · Read review
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Review of The Gospel According To St. Matthew (DVD)

THE CLAW AND THE ROSE

Advantages: It's a really masterpiece.
Disadvantages: Nothing!

...an example "Manuscript found to Saragozza", of the Pole Jan Potocky,or ?The Decameron?,of the italian novelist Giovanni Boccaccio;or,better,?The Canterbury Tales?,of Chaucer ,that Simmons too indicates like source of inspiration for this book . But?it?not all. Not satisfied of that, Simmons it has intentional to exaggerate. Every single story is narrated in various way, second one very precise and recognizable style ;thus,for an example,the tale of Brawne Lamia it is a homage to the style of Chandler , that one of the consul recalls the poetry of Ursula the Guin, the colonel Femahn Kassad narrates with the voice of Heinlein in ?Starship Trooper?,and the priest it recalls the ?Dracula? of Stoker ?and son on. Later on, Simmons it is returned several times on hyperion, in order to melt the remained riddles at the end of the first book ,but...

krazykat 29.07.2002 · Read review
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Review of Hyperion - Dan Simmons

A Journey into Literature

Advantages: English literature at its finest
Disadvantages: None

...that the tales are his own confessional. He hinted as much in the Reeve?s Tale where the references to his own life were plain to see but in this tale the confessional aspects of the entire cycle come to their fulfilment. The tale shows poetic brilliance, comedy and wit, but these mask mind-numbing complexity. Chaucer hides his sources but I would claim that the Decameron (by Giovanni Boccaccio) is one of these. Chaucer explores the concept of nihilism in this tale and his use of allegory is possibly unsurpassed in its eloquence. I assume the merchant to be a usurer, one who charges extortionate interest on loans as Chaucer himself did. Usury is contrary to the beliefs of the time especially with reference to Thomas Aquinas who himself cites Aristotle in his belief that interest charging is immoral. The protagonist in this tale is...

TrueSatan 29.11.2002 · Read review
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Review of Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer