Scouting in Palestine

Pasolini
In the end, everything that Christ did and said, the four small Gospels, a sermon in a small land, a small region made up of four barren hills, a mountain, Calvary, where he was killed... it all fits in the palm of a hand.

*

Pasolini
You see, for the two of us, the word "spiritual" has different meanings. When you say "spiritual" you mean, above all, religious; intimate and religious. For me "spiritual" corresponds to aesthetics.

✠

It's incredible to watch Pasolini direct himself on camera. To see his awareness of the camera and how he will look on camera; the framing; the spacing – to be behind the camera while in front of it – to have the aesthete's eye.

There is a scene, where he and Don Andrea are standing on the banks of a river. The river Jordan, if I recall correctly. He hands the mic to Don Andrea, who comes in close to take it. Now, Don Andrea crowds him. Now, Don Andrea, folds the scene in on itself. And, accounting for that step closer, Pasolini so gently and subtly pushes him one step back, making his scene beautiful once again.

Edit, go read my favourite Letterboxd review on this film, by Jane.

Pasolini
In the end, everything that Christ did and said, the four small Gospels, a sermon in a small land, a small region made up of four barren hills, a mountain, Calvary, where he was killed... it all fits in the palm of a hand.

*

Pasolini
You see, for the two of us, the word "spiritual" has different meanings. When you say "spiritual" you mean, above all, religious; intimate and religious. For me "spiritual" corresponds to aesthetics.

✠

It's incredible to watch Pasolini direct himself on camera. To see his awareness of the camera and how he will look on camera; the framing; the spacing – to be behind the camera while in front of it – to have the aesthete's eye.

There is a scene, where he and Don Andrea are standing on the banks of a river. The river Jordan, if I recall correctly. He hands the mic to Don Andrea, who comes in close to take it. Now, Don Andrea crowds him. Now, Don Andrea, folds the scene in on itself. And, accounting for that step closer, Pasolini so gently and subtly pushes him one step back, making his scene beautiful once again.

Edit, go read my favourite Letterboxd review on this film, by Jane.

literally pasolini going around palestine, israel and jordan looking for a scene for a movie that they don’t end up filming anything for in said movie, but then also (maybe unintentionally) has some pretty unfortunate but seemingly not hateful eurocentric views and orietalism

very interesting shots and panoramas but very much of its time

literally pasolini going around palestine, israel and jordan looking for a scene for a movie that they don’t end up filming anything for in said movie, but then also (maybe unintentionally) has some pretty unfortunate but seemingly not hateful eurocentric views and orietalism

very interesting shots and panoramas but very much of its time