The Decameron (Dekameron'un Aşk Öyküleri)

The Decameron is a 1971 anthology erotic comedy written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, adapted from Giovanni Boccaccio's 14th-century collection of tales. Pasolini selects nine of the original hundred stories and relocates them largely to southern Italy, making extensive use of the Neapolitan dialect to suggest the exploitation of the poor south by the richer north. Abundant nudity, earthy sexuality, slapstick and bawdy humour run through the episodes, while the Catholic Church also becomes a target of satire. Pasolini appears in the film as Giotto's pupil, and Silvana Mangano has a small role. Produced by Alberto Grimaldi with music by Ennio Morricone, the picture is the first entry in Pasolini's Trilogy of Life, followed by The Canterbury Tales (1972) and Arabian Nights (1974). Rather than faithfully recreating Boccaccio's world, the director uses the tales metaphorically to critique contemporary society. The film was screened at the 21st Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear Extraordinary Jury Prize.