La Rabbia

Cinema has rarely produced such an intellegent and profound director as Pasolini. That said often great film makers are shunted aside because, more often than not they are seen as exclusive to the art house audience. With Pasolini often however the mainsteam has been exposed to his work, via his opus Salo. The reason people have watched this is often as it tops the most controversial films of all time lists and not because they have chosen it as required viewing.

La Rabbia (Rage) is not simply a film, a documentary or even a work of art, it is far more. The film screened was Pasolinis half of a whole. The first part is considered the left wing version of events and the unscreened second half the right counter. After Pasolinis version was limited in its original release to the outside world it sank into a quigmire of cinematic myth. Many knew and wanted to see it but its unavailablity made it unobtainable and exclusive. Modern audiences wouldnt be familiar with the time when a film was unavailable if the print was with held. Pasolinis work often was withheld, censored or banned by authorities fearful of its power and its content. Salo loomed large in this respect but so does La Rabbia.

The title gives away a little of the discourse within. Deep held rage and anger held about the condition of the modern world post the second world war simmers.Pasolini uses the dual power of images and poetry to build his case. The horrors of war, stark realities of colonial occupations, race and relationships are all a part of the discourse. Ideology plays its part also and write large on this is Pasolinis anti clerical, anti bourgeis, anti communist feeling. Couple this with the shocking historical footage that transcends speech, isolating the viewer, transfixing them to the power of art held within.

One of the most fascinating things in the film is that of its analysis of celebrity and or obssesion with it. Marilyn Monroe is the figurehead in his arguement. Her body being the object of desire, both sexually but also in truth as a perfect. This becomes a norm in later years and today can be seen throughout our tabloid magazines and news papers. Print pornography so to speak. We see and we want, to covert and keep them as ours. Consumerism of the spirit and the physical as Pasolini hated the every growing mass of consumption and desire for more. This makes the film as relevent to the current film watchers and makers, more so now then before. Its short in time, long in thought well worth the energy invested in it and should be ignored. The only negative point in all of this is that after 53 minutes you want more and in a way it would make Pasolini smirk. You want more and that is what you were programmed for.