Trilogy of Life (The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales, Arabian Nights) (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

I know of this movies since the 1980s. It was about time to be able to own them on DVD. The Canterbury tales I first saw it in a cult movies midnight sessions Theater, specialized in this kind of movies. At the theater in the last chapter in hell, as soon as the angel asks the devil to show the monk where greedy religious personalities end up and saw the scale model of the demon's butt, I bursted laughing and I could not stop. I saw the other 2 movies later on. The stories are very good and the very original takes of the scenes. Pasolini is a master of perfectly representing scenarios as close possible as history books talk about the way of living of the people of the times where the action takes. As per se, he directed the spoken movie version of Medea, with Maria Callas, in opera scenary her favorite and most acclaimed role. Worth every penny. (Italian with English subtitles. The Italian dialogues are much funnier than the translation).

I actually bought this because it is the ONLY way to purchase an American region of Arabian Knights. Good copy, excellent features you might expect from a Criterion Collection film. Highly recommended. If you are sensitive to homoerotic imagery than this movie is not for you. The structure of the movie is very different from the books, the character of Shaharazade is totally dispensed with, leading to a completely different structure of storytelling.

Well, the original stories gave Pasolini plenty of bawdy to work with, and plenty of comedy. Attractive actors pulled it together, with a few steamy, synthesexual interludes. Fun, but not one for the ages.-- wiredweird

Pasolini is not for everyone. That said, he brought these often bawdy tales to vibrant life. It's great to see them in these clean, restored versions. Definitely not for kids.

Pasolini has chosen three tales that have lived for ages, and given them new life. I love many of the European films because they depend on acting and story instead of special effects. I don't speak or understand Italian, but you don't have to to get the entire visual story and see the emotions in the faces. For the serious student of film, these are classics in the true sense. A must.

I enjoyed the movies and the super transfer quality of pictureThanks

Wonderful entertainment. Great stories. English subtitles worked for me.

This is Pasolini at his best, treating works of classicakll literature in his unique way. Only for lovers of Italian cinema and Pasolini in particular; not for "Die Hard" or Bruce Lee fans.

Though their bawdiness may not be to everyone’s taste, these three movies by Pier Paolo Pasolini still stand out fresh and highly original, 50 years after their initial release. The Criterion edition presents remarkably restored images and sound.In “Il Decamerone”, the general framework of the written work is completely omitted, and the viewer basically perceives just a succession of sketches. In “The Canterbury Tales”, three narrative levels are present: that of Chaucer writing the tales, that of the pilgrims going to Canterbury and finally the stories told by some of them. This makes things a bit difficult to fathom in a single viewing. “Arabian Nights” is much better organized, though in tongue-in-cheek fashion, with links between the stories, for instance one character in a tale telling a story wherein another starts a new account.Supplements are abundant and varied. They include notably :• For “Il Decamerone”, a specially made “visual essay” dealing with Pasolini’s overall filmography that describes how this movie is organized around two paintings, one by Bruegel and the other by Giotto; a feature on “Alibech”, a tale that was filmed in Yemen and in the end excluded from the final cut; various television interviews with Pasolini himself;• For “The Canterbury Tales”, an interview with Sam Rohdie where he lauds the film’s vitality and a featurette where the travails of editing the film are told, including how a full tale and a total of 20 scenes were rejected from the final cut, what some interpret as a betrayal towards Chaucer’s work;• For “Arabian Nights”, a “visual essay” analyzing the movie, deleted scenes for a total of 25 minutes and a surprising short film where Pasolini discusses urban form.Teeming with life, the three films are punctuated with haunting images, most beautiful but some repulsive. They are recommended to all who appreciate thoughtful, original but at times rough-cut cinema.

The Decameron, Canterbury Tales, and Arabian Nights, are all collections of adventurous, entertaining stories. Pasolini did a wonderful job of bringing many of those stories to the screen in a very funny and artistic way.

Bawdy but good film versions of three classic examples of medieval literature.

海外発送だったので不安だったし、なかなか思ったよりも遅かったので心配したが、予定の期日内には十分間に合ったので安心した。ディスク本体もざっとではあるがチェックしたところ問題ないようなのでいい買い物をしたと思う。内容についてはオンタイムで過去見たことがあるので、アメリカ映画のようなテンポ恐怖症の真反対に位置する時間の流れが懐かしかった。ぼかしもないので検閲している人間たちのいやらしい心根も感じないで済んだ。エロさで言えばこの前購入した伊丹十三の赤と黒のボックスセットの方がよっぽどエロさを感じた。とにかくパゾリーニの作品は、時にその時間の中に無性に浸りたくなる監督の一人だと思う。

字幕DVDをレンタルで見て大いに楽しめたので高画質クライテリオン盤を購入しましたがさらに楽しめました