In many ways, product review has always been my dream. As anyone who has entered my home knows, I am a meticulous curator of my movies with a structure that only makes sense to me or you if I explain it for fifteen minutes. When I’m considering a purchase, there are a few things I need to know: how big is it? Does it fit my shelf? Is the restoration good? Does it have new special features or ones that were only available on the Laserdisc edition? Most importantly, does it have a slipcover? I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Pasolini 101 from the Criterion Collection, allowing me to indulge in overthinking the technical and physical aspects of the box for your reading pleasure. Of course, the work of Pier Paolo Pasolini is worth discussing too.
Where to even begin? Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975) was an italian poet, writer, director, everything really, who is probably one of the most fascinating people to ever live. Even his death was interesting and remains kind of unsolved! The Criterion Collection has put together the perfect way to dive into Pasolini’s intimidating filmography. A complete set could be overwhelming, like the Agnes Varda box I am still working my way through. Not only does this box celebrate the director’s 101st birthday, it acts as a “101 course” for Pasolini newbies like myself. The set contains nine of Pasolini’s most iconic films: Accattone (1961), Mamma Roma (1962), Love Meetings (1964), The Gospel According to Matthew (1964), The Hawks and the Sparrows (1966), Oedipus Rex (1967), Teorema (1968), Porcile (1969), and Medea (1969). Notably absent is his controversial final film Salò, or The 120 Days of Sodom, but that could risk taking attention away from the rest of the work. So far I have only watched Teorema, but that film is dense and emblematic enough of the man’s style for me to really understand what I’m in for.
Pasolini 101 is set up much like the Varda box, a hard cardboard shell containing a book with a Blu-Ray disc between each page. Though the design is colorful and presents each film sumptuously, I had trouble removing some of the discs. I didn’t want to pull too hard for fear of scratching the disc, but I was able to free Teorema after a bit of struggle. This could just be a quirk of my box, as I’m sure each one has a slightly different build. There is also a thick booklet containing an essay by Pasolini himself, along with writing on each film by critic James Quandt. One of my favorite aspects of Criterion releases is the supplemental reading, and I look forward to learning more about these films.
Below I am including images of the box, including size comparisons to other Criterion releases so you get a sense of scale. If you have any questions about the box, or my collection at large, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Pasolini 101 is available for purchase now.
