I love how this movie feels like a Greek tragedy in the truest sense--it's just Nature that pushes our tragic hero to his end, something that he can't necessarily control, but that is pounded into his psyche by the world around him. In Pasolini's script, the "villain" is Catholic ideologies about sex and masculinity. Just like how Oedipus tries to swim against the will of the Pythian oracle and fails, so too does Antonio struggle against the Catholic Church's damaging stance on sex, marriage, and machismo. It's so obviously written by Pasolini, and it's a great screenplay. I wish it looked a little more dynamic and moved with a bit more grace and fluidity.
I love how this movie feels like a Greek tragedy in the truest sense--it's just Nature that pushes our tragic hero to his end, something that he can't necessarily control, but that is pounded into his psyche by the world around him. In Pasolini's script, the "villain" is Catholic ideologies about sex and masculinity. Just like how Oedipus tries to swim against the will of the Pythian oracle and fails, so too does Antonio struggle against the Catholic Church's damaging stance on sex, marriage, and machismo. It's so obviously written by Pasolini, and it's a great screenplay. I wish it looked a little more dynamic and moved with a bit more grace and fluidity.