TIFF’s Pier Paolo Pasolini: The Poet of Contamination Review: Teorema (1968) - NP Approved

Cast: Silvana Mangano, Terence Stamp, Massimo Girotti
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Country: Italy
Genre: Drama | Mystery

Editor’s Notes: The following review is part of our coverage for TIFF’s Pier Paolo Pasolini: The Poet of Contamination which runs from March 8th to April 12th at TIFF Bell Lightbox. For more information on upcoming TIFF film series visit http://tiff.net and follow TIFF on Twitter at @TIFF_NET.

There is something so sublime about subversion. It takes you away from the monotony of the ordinary and forces you to view reality (or whatever you would like to call it) from a different perspective. It forces you to think, to underthink, and to overthink. And it turns absurdity (both the comical and the existential ideas) into commonplace events. Certain filmmakers have a knack for subversion, like David Lynch, Luis Buñuel, and Douglas Sirk. They all possess a fundamental understanding of a universal subversive language, one that doesn’t rely on phonetics or letters, but relies on visuals and experiences. Pier Paolo Pasolini understood that subversive language, which is why Teorema (1968) is such an enjoyable film to watch.

Pasolini explores desire by depicting characters who seek and/or give power through sex and sexuality. Sometimes this is done at the exclusion of pleasure (as seen in Salò), and other times pleasure is what drives these characters to obsession. 

Teorema follows a wealthy bourgeois family also they welcome in a “Visitor” (Terence Stamp, in an ethereal role). The “Visitor” proceeds to seduce every family member, from the mother, Lucia (Silvana Mangano, who looks fabulous in every frame) to the maid, Emilia (Laura Betti, whose eyes are sorrowful and enchanting). Just as easily as the “Visitor” enters into the story, so too does he easily leave. His absence catapults the family members into various states of distress: the daughter, Odetta (Anne Wiazemsky) goes into a catatonic state, while the father, Paolo (Massimo Girotti), gives away his factory and strips himself of his clothes. The mystery of the “Visitor” lies not solely in his presence in the household, but it extends itself into the narrative fabric long after he is gone.

What I find intriguing about Pasolini’s films (at least of those that I have watched) is his exploration of the link between sexuality and power. Pasolini explores desire by depicting characters who seek and/or give power through sex and sexuality. Sometimes this is done at the exclusion of pleasure (as seen in Salò), and other times pleasure is what drives these characters to obsession. The family members of Teorema empower the “Visitor” through their respective gazes – primarily at his genitals – and their obsessive fetishization – the son, Pietro (Andrés José Cruz Soublette), manically tries to paint a portrait, while the mother tries to pick up men who look like the visitor. Desire is the narrative vehicle that propels the characters of Teorema to act and react to their own conditions. Narrative closure is not easily obtained for anyone, and all the players try their best to react to the absence of their “savior.”

This reading of the film is not a single answer to all the mysteries that lie in the visuals. There are Marxist questions that arise, religious questions that are left unanswered, and images of volcanoes that evoke multiple connotations.

This reading of the film is not a single answer to all the mysteries that lie in the visuals. There are Marxist questions that arise, religious questions that are left unanswered, and images of volcanoes that evoke multiple connotations. The theoretical aspects of the film do not answer questions with definitive responses, but they choose to answer those questions with more questions. It is frustrating and pleasurable, a paradox that mirrors the feelings of the characters that we follow on the screen.

I am not saying that Pasolini has multiple masterpieces (as I am still under the belief that an artist can have one masterpiece along with multiple great works), but I am saying that Pasolini’s knowledge, which extended to film, literature, poetry, philosophy, art, etc., helped him attain a body of work that elevated film into an art form. Teorema is a piece of Pasolini’s enigmatic film canon, one that reflected an artist who continuously pushed the boundaries of cinema and challenged the comfort level of his audience. He thoroughly studied the language of subversion, creating a body of work that is not always easy to consume, but is sublime nonetheless.

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Jose Gallegos

Staff Film Critic

I'm an aspiring filmmaker from Los Angeles. Recently, I graduated from USC with my Bachelors in Cinema/Television Production and French (yes, I'm a "phile" for all things "cine" and "franco"). I will continue my academic career by pursuing a Masters in Film Studies at UCLA (feel free to call me a traitor).

Latest posts by Jose Gallegos (see all)

• Review: The Missing Picture (2013) - March 18, 2014
• TIFF’s Pier Paolo Pasolini: The Poet of Contamination Review: Teorema (1968) - NP Approved - March 9, 2014
• Home Entertainment Review: G.B.F (2013) - February 24, 2014