Short of the Week: A Pier Paolo Pasolini comedy starring Orson Welles
Pier Paolo Pasolini will always be remembered as one of the towering intellectuals of 20th-century cinema. While Pasolini is known for his incisive critiques of consumerist culture and contemporary sociopolitical phenomenons, he also once made a comedic short film which starred none other than Orson Welles.
For this edition of Short of the Week, we have chosen Pasolini’s 1963 film La ricotta which was the third segment of the anthology series Ro.Go.Pa.G. The film featured contributions by Jean-Luc Godard, Roberto Rossellini and Ugo Gregoretti, but Pasolini’s segment is definitely the standout portion of the anthology for various reasons.
Most audiences are familiar with some of Pasolini’s more prominent works, such as Salò, but La ricotta is definitely among the lesser-known additions to the Italian filmmaker’s acclaimed oeuvre. It’s a metafictional reconstruction of the crucifixion of Jesus, which transcends the petty limitations of the cinematic medium.
Orson Welles puts in an enjoyable performance as a disinterested director who is disillusioned with the conditions of Italian society, the unceasing growth pushed by the bourgeoisie and the cinema of Federico Fellini. However, the undeniable star of La ricotta is Mario Cipriani, who is flawless as a starving actor named Stracci.
Pasolini uses the fleeting runtime of La ricotta very efficiently, combining powerful Marxist critiques of capitalist exploitation of labour with comedic techniques used by the pioneers of the silent era. The result is a charming yet transgressive piece of film art which showcases all of Pasolini’s greatest cinematic strengths.
Due to its subversive interpretations of religious orthodoxy, La ricotta was considered blasphemous at the time of its release. It was subjected to heavy censorship, and Pasolini was even tried for “offence to the Italian state and religion”. Thankfully, this little gem has survived the test of time, and it continues to delight film fans all over the world.
Watch the short film below.
