And because I saw it last of the three, so some of the cast was familiar: Pasolini's lover Ninetto Davoli as a comic-relief buffoon, Franco Citti as someone morose and frightening, Although I'm still annoyed by the closeups of random people with bad teeth grinning at the camera for no apparent reason, and the groups of people sitting around singing for no reason.
1. The Merchant's Tale: An old man gets a young wife, who is unfaithful, so two naked teenage gods (left) decide to have a little fun with them. While a naked boy plays the flute.
2. A new tale: A professional blackmailer, who has just turned a man over to the authorities for a same-sex relationship, meets the devil. The execution of the sodomite is uncomfortable to watch, especially when one considers that similar atrocities are still happening in the world today, but at least the blackmailer gets his comeuppance.
3. The Cook's Tale: The foolish Perkin (top), channeling Charlie Chaplin, invades a wedding, hangs out with the guys, and has a three-way relationship with a man and his wife.
4.The Miller's Tale: A woman finds a way to meet her boyfriend without her husband finding out. Meanwhile another suitor hangs around with his shirtless, buffed boyfriend (left).
5. A new tale, based on the Wife of Bath: A woman marries her fifth husband, but gets mad when he won't have sex with her.
6. The Reeve's Tale : Two students, who appear to be lovers, visit a miller, and have sex with his wife and daughter without him finding out.
7.The Pardoner's Tale: Three friends (including Robin Askwith, left, the star of many British sex comedies) visit a brothel, and then kill each other over a treasure.
8. The Summoner's Tale: A greedy friar goes to hell.
Notice that there's a lot more same-sex romance than in The Arabian Nights, and for that matter the original Canterbury Tales, although most men have sex with women too. The result is more gay-positive and not nearly as morose as the rest of the Trilogy of Life
There was a John McLaren who died in 1970. And a Jon McLaren who was in The Covenant, born 1984. So, neither of them.
ReplyDeleteThe second one triggers memories of my (Kinsey 0) brother liking The Covenant. And 300. And Supernatural. Man, I'm going to have to step up my gay game.
What’s a Kinsey 0? I thought it went from 1to 6
DeletePasolini used a lot of people off the street in his films. John Mclaren was most likely one of those. Several years ago I met one such character from the film selling fruit and veg in a London market. He played Absolon in the film and was a boxer by profession.
ReplyDeleteThat’s amazing! Can you offer more information about how you met him? Did you recognize him from the movie or did it come up in conversation? What a hilarious character and a very memorable face. (He gets his face farted on by Jennie Runacre, doesn’t he?)
ReplyDelete