Pier Paolo Pasolini: 'Accattone' (1961)

Accattone (1961), Pier Paolo Pasolini's first film, is set in post-World War Two Rome among deadbeats, "scroungers" and working class denizens. Generally, able-bodied men work as little as possible, preferring to pimp out a girlfriend or commit petty thefts to get by rather than work like dogs. Many sit around at little outdoor cafe tables, clowning off with macho edginess  -- exactly as we later see New Jersey gangster crews do in The Sopranos. 

Here, Maddalena (Silvana Corsini) with Accattone (Franco Citti) in their little crib, which is a shared space.

Once Maddalena is imprisoned, Accatone scrounges up Stella (Franca Pasut) to fill in, with mixed results.

Pasolini keenly observes situations involving collisions between people and living conditions, socio-economic class structure, gender roles, and Catholicism. Shot in crisp black and white with an occasional surrealistic sequence, Accattone is a beautiful film about trapped people. The non-professional actors are superb. They've got The Look. 

Today's Rune; Fertility.