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Theorem



Released on DVD for the first time in the UK, the BFI presents Pasolini's Theorem complete and uncut in a new high-definition digital transfer with restored picture and sound. It is accompanied by a new interview with Terence Stamp, and a feature commentary.

A handsome, enigmatic stranger (Terence Stamp) arrives at a bourgeois household in Milan and successively seduces the son, the mother, the daughter and the father, not forgetting the maid. Then, as abruptly and mysteriously as he arrived, he departs. Unable to endure the void left in their lives, the father (Massimo Girotti) hands over his factory to the workers, the son (Andrs Jos Cruz) abandons his vocation as a painter, the mother (Silvana Mangano) abandons herself to random sexual encounters, and the daughter sinks into catatonia. The maid (Laura Betti, winner Best Actress, Venice 1968), however, becomes a saint.

In this cool, richly complex and provocative political allegory, Pasolini uses his schematic plot to explore family dynamics, the intersection of class and sex, and the nature of different sexualities. After winning a prize at the Venice Festival, Theorem was subsequently banned on an obscenity charge, but Pasolini later won an acquittal on grounds of the film's 'high artistic value'.

A visually ravishing film, with superb performances from all the cast, it also has a brilliantly eclectic soundtrack - with music ranging from Mozart and Morricone to the natural sound of chirping birds.

Extras:
- Full-feature commentary by Italian film expert Robert Gordon.
- Exclusive filmed interview with Terence Stamp.
- Fully illustrated booklet.

stephan73 wrote:Teorama Coming 27 September!!

Is that anything like Odorama?

Matt wrote:

stephan73 wrote:Teorama Coming 27 September!!

Is that anything like Odorama?

Sort of. While you're watching the movie, Terence Stamp comes into the room and interferes with you.

I've just finished watching an advance copy, and I don't think anyone will be disappointed. (Unless they hate the film, of course, but I can't help that).

The transfer is pretty well faultless - certainly up to the standard of Tartan's excellent Pasolini boxes. It's anamorphic, print damage is all but invisible (though there are a few minor blemishes towards the end), and the colours rang completely true.

There are just two extras on the disc(*), but they're both heavyweight - and provide an effective balance of anecdote (the interview) and analysis (the commentary).

The 33-minute interview is with Terence Stamp, which goes into candid and sometimes graphic detail about what it was like working with Pasolini (they weren't close, and he never got paid), bookended with (much) fonder reminiscences about Fellini and Stamp's subsequent ten-year sabbatical in India.

And the commentary is by Cambridge academic Robert Gordon, a specialist in Italian culture in general and Pasolini in particular, and for me it struck exactly the right note - I'm normally not that fond of highly analytical commentaries, but this film practically demands one. As is usual BFI practice, the commentary is subtitled as well.

(*) There's a booklet as well, but I haven't seen that yet.

(DISCLAIMER: I had nothing to do with the production, but I know the producer well, so I'm clearly an unreliable witness. But I honestly don't think there'll be too many dissenting voices)

OK, in that thread you wrote:

I don't own this yet (and may not given the following) but a friend has alerted me to a surprising variation in the opening sequences of the movie which differ significantly from the original print.
I am quoting from the SBS Australia TV print (one of their few good ones) and many many theatrical viewings of it since 1971.

In the new disc the movie begins as follows:

Opening faux news footage (with Paso lurking in the background as a reporter); then the credits over the volcanic ash; then the party scene at the household in which a girl says in English to Wiazemsky "who's that boy?", she replies, in English "oh, a boy." Scene goes on to show Terrence in long shot background, cuts to admiring Sylvano, cuts to Terrence in Medium. THEN comes a short sequence in Black and white of the householders going about daily chores. THEN the short sequence of Ninetto Davoli delivering a telegram, apparently announcing Terrence's arrival after we have already seen him at the party.
THEN the movie proceeds with the garden scene with Laura Betti and Terry, her attempted gassing etc and the rest of the movie progresses as normally.

In what I always understood to be the original release print the sequences are:
Faux news footage; credits over ash; party scene (all exactly as the same as K-L). THEN immediately cuts to the Laura Betti and Terry in the garden scene and the movie progresses through the family seductions, ending with the father, to approx 36 minutes in (PAL time) when Ninetto delivers the telegram with no dialogue mentioning arrival. In the next sequence mention is made of Terry having to "return", and so on.

I am totally puzzled by the B&W footage which I have NEVER seen, and this seemingly incongruous, insertion of the Ninetto telegram scene into the wrong part of the movie.

...and the BFI disc looks like this:

1) Faux news footage (i.e. the interview outside the factory)
2) Credits over ash, culminating in colour pan around the volcanic landscape with strikingly blue sky;
3) Sepia-tinted BW sequence, starting with silent shots of factories, then introducing us to individual family members (no diegetic sound: just Ennio Morricone's discordant score) - Paolo driving car; Pietro clowning with his classmates prior to meeting a girlfriend; Odetta walking with fellow students through parked cars, looking pensive, encounter with unidentified man and brief squabble over photo album, followed by them running through the tree-lined avenue; Lucia reading, brief (still silent) conversation with Emilia, followed by Emilia answering the door to the postboy (the music has changed to a catchy pop tune, but there's still no diegetic sound). He then prances off.
4) The dinner scene with the telegram (still in sepia-tinted silent BW)
5) The party scene, in full colour with diegetic sound, in which we see the stranger for the first time.
6) The sequence with Emilia in the garden watching the stranger...

...and so on.

But it's worth noting that there are actually two scenes with Ninetto delivering a telegram - the first announces the stranger's arrival (so it's appropriate that this scene should precede the first shots of the stranger at the party), and the second announces his departure approx. half an hour later. The first telegram scene is silent, but the second includes a conversation in which Emilia's name is revealed for the first time.

Does that help?

(UPDATE: Reading the rest of that thread, it looks as though it matches the VHS version described a few posts later on. And DVD commentator Robert Gordon has definitely done his homework (he quotes extensively from the script), so I suspect he'd have noticed if the footage was in the wrong sequence.)

DVDtimes reviews Theorem!

33-minute interview with Terry? I was sold already as I love the man, but now I'm scrambling for my Play.com tab. Good old BFI.

Person wrote:33-minute interview with Terry? I was sold already as I love the man, but now I'm scrambling for my Play.com tab. Good old BFI.

I'm happy to confirm that that isn't a typo - and it's a terrific interview.

Not least because he didn't have a particularly good experience filming Teorema, and explains why in some detail, which makes a delightful contrast to the usual gushing drivel that adorns most EPK pieces on DVDs.

It's bookended with much fonder reminiscences of working with Fellini (who called him 'Terencino Francobollo' - the latter being a literal translation of 'stamp') and travelling in India.

MichaelB wrote:Fellini called him Terencino Francobollo

That's cute!

DVD Beaver review of Theorem. An amazing difference in picture quality between the other DVDs they compare it to!

The Beaver seems a little confused as to whether the BFI disc is anamorphic. I'm happy to confirm that it definitely is.

MichaelB, you've commented on the "graphic detail" of Stamp's comments about Pasolini. This disc isn't on my radar right now, any clarification or anecdotes you can share (or is the interview available anywhere)?

Svevan wrote:MichaelB, you've commented on the "graphic detail" of Stamp's comments about Pasolini. This disc isn't on my radar right now, any clarification or anecdotes you can share (or is the interview available anywhere)?

Fantastic interview that goes into pretty good detail starting with his casting for Toby Dammit for Fellini, through Theorem, onto his adventures in India and then ending with some comment on the Superman auditions that brought him back to 'civilization'. Very candid. His impressions on Pasolini were especially insightful. A very peaceful guy with a demeanor and spiritual experience that would seem to lend credence to his comments.

Having only glanced at the cover for the Koch Lorber release, I always thought that Theorem was Italian torture-porn: boy, was I wrong. I obviously have a lot of catch-up to do Pasolini-wise.

So after seeing the movie I can only guess that THEOREM is the Italian word for dickmatized?

I've no idea - what's the English for 'dickmatized'?

Well of course the English would spell it "dickmatised".

I'm still no closer. MichaelB?

He is probably aiming for a very poor pun on the word baptized and the fact there is some sex in the film. It is a very stupid joke that I hope ends with this post.

He was probably going more for the idea of being hypnotized by the power of one man's, erm, manhood. Which I suppose is apt, but at what cost?

I want no explanation ever. Let's just sit back and enjoy those two posts removed from any attempt to understand

Dual-format upgrade May 13th.

Excellent news! Finally saw Pasolini's work for the very first time at MoMA during their amazing retrospective, and it was probably my favorite of all of Pasolini's films. (I should note the one film I really wanted to see but missed was Hawks and Sparrows.)

Spoiler

Before the film, they showed a video interview with him where he talks about the film's premise.

"It's about God visiting these five individuals. The father gives away his factory then wanders the desert naked, the daughter becomes catatonic, the mother becomes a nymphomaniac..."

And then he says "the son, he becomes a painter..."

And after a long pause, he adds "...like Bacon."

And as soon as he grins, the whole audience started laughing.

Of course, I just bought the DVD last week, so you're welcome, everyone.

Wonderful news, and thanks swo.