Pasolini on consumeristic civilization (eng sub)
here we are in front of the structure, the shape, the profile of another city, immersed in a strange, grey, lagoon light, altough surrounded by a beatiful mediterranean maquis, it's sabaudia. How we made fun, we intellectuals, of the regime architecture, of cities like sabaudia, and yet looking at this city now we feel something completely unexpected: it's architecture has nothing unreal, ridiculous, the passing of time made it so that this architecture, lictoreal like, takes a quality, so to speak, inbetween metaphisical and realistics, metaphisical in a truly european way, that resembles the art of the chirico, and realistics because, seen from the distance, you feel that the cities are made, speaking in a somewhat rethorical way, to the measure of men, you really feel like there are families in there, proper families, human people, complete living being, whole, full in their humbleness.
How do we explain such a thing? which seems miraculous, a ridiculous city, fascist, that seems so charming to us: we have to examine this fact, I mean, Sabaudia was built by the regime, there's no doubt about it, but in fact it has nothing fascist, if only some exterior traits, so I think that fascism, the fascist regime, in the end was nothing more than a bunch of criminal who took the power, and those empowered criminals in fact could do nothing, they were not able to leave a mark, not even scratch the surface, of the Italian reality, and so Sabaudia, even if it was built by the regime following certain rationalistic criteria, academically aesthetizing, doesn't found it's root in the regime that built it, it's rooted in that reality that fascist dominated with tiranny but couldn't touch, I mean it's the small-town, rustic, paleoindustrial etc. etc. reality that sprouted sabaudia, not fascism.
But now it's the opposite, the regime is a democratic one, but that indoctrination, that homologation that fascism couldn't obtain, the power of today, which is the consumer civilization, instead realizes it perfectly, destroying all the specific reality, taking away reality to the different ways of being human that Italy storically produced in such differentiated ways, It's this indoctrination that is destroying Italy for real, I can say without a doubt that the truth fascism it's exactly this power of the consumistic civilization. And this thing happened so quickly that we didn't even noticed! it's kinda like a nightmare, that happened in the last five, six, seven, ten years, it's like a nightmare during which we have witnessed Italy crumbling all around us, disappearing, perhaps now we are awakening from this nightmare only to look around and find out that there's nothing we can do anymore.
Пікірлер: 68
it's 2023 - it's been a lot more than 5-6-7 years, my old friend. Thank you for your words of clarity. They shine painfully true in our modern homogenous society. We have tortured our bodies and souls so much that many of us have truly detached and forgotten who we are.
It's exactly 40 year today since Pasolini has been gone, hope you can forgive us all: you were right all along.
@JohnAbraham1987
2 жыл бұрын
May The Poet never forgive us. 🙏
@JustinCase-ld4ih
6 ай бұрын
I love Pasolini's work and figure, but politically he was wrong, he was a communist
@opposingshore9322
3 ай бұрын
100% correct
The fact l am watching this on my mobile is confirmation of his opinion from the past, sadly.
Thank you for providing English subtitle, this is such a relevant video.
The nightmare has gotten much worse in the almost 50 years since your death, Mr. Pasolini.
great upload! appreciate the english subtitles as well, bravo.
When Pasolini complained in the 70's that consumerism (coupled with mass marketing) flattens culture and lacks the incentives to create refined and nuanced art, he was right. But by the 90's, this sentiment had become the worn-out lament of the aged, and we who were teenagers, even intellectual ones like myself, knew by instinct that mulling over the past had become a dead end. It was not that we rejected the value of cultural history, or had no patience for, or curiosity about, great artistic achievements of the past; we knew from our daily lives that there was no stopping the capitalist juggernaut. The great disappointment we all felt when were harangued about our ignorant barbarism was that our accusers assumed that there was only one way to produce a great culture: It had to be shared by everyone. They have a point- there is great value in shared understanding and mutually comprehensible worldviews, and far too few young people today are even offered the opportunity to appreciate the great achievements of the past. The most important question is: What do we do now? Do we believe that we can resurrect widespread respect and admiration for refined aesthetics? I don't. The only possible way forward, in my opinion, is to create "niche" cultures within capitalist societies. This has already begun, and back in the 90's it was in full swing- one of my friends took a year off school to do almost nothing but collect rare records- 12 tone orchestral music, hipster electronica and everything in between. You had to work hard to discover the consumer products that you could use to define yourself as different and special. Great admiration was doled out to those who could find a "cool" thing that their niche members could appreciate. Today I'm worried that we are getting off track- almost that we are going in reverse, to a place where everything is shared, but almost nothing means much. Now that you can find anything on the internet, that consumerist appropriation behavior has been "zombified." I don't generally "share" much on the internet, because I found that I didn't want to receive a lot of what was shared with me- even by my friends. It's sort of like the vaguely sick feeling I get after every pot-luck. I don't want a F______G FEED to check every time I have a spare moment. My brain needs its naps.... or I get CRANKY. I used to think that the idea of "brand-name tribalism" was a laughably dystopian view of the future. Now I think if may be our only option, unless we are willing to be drowned by the deluge of infinite lowest-common-denominator consumer culture. Any other solution would require some variant of fascism or repressive socialism. Pasolini was right, in that regard; democracy is not the ideal system if the objective is for the elites to "educate" the masses. If someone has come up with a realistic idea to overcome consumerism, that doesn't merely reanimate the rightfully dead social theories of the past, I would really like to hear it. Until then, the best we will be able to do is form "culture cliques," and develop some system of mutual tolerance- since mutual respect is too much to hope for. AND YOU THOUGHT THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD WAS DEAD? No. I'm keeping it alive by posting ridiculously long comments that next to no one will ever read !!!
@heidisanderson7768
8 жыл бұрын
+Sancho Quixote We are out here, trust that...And reading you as well.....much respect.....
@novembrine29
8 жыл бұрын
+Sancho Quixote Don't worry; people read this. The right KZread comment on the right video at the right time, if written with heart, can change a life. We're all voices in a void, but that doesn't make our words empty. Never forget that.
@cacacenazo
8 жыл бұрын
+Sancho Quixote I knew you would think that no one was going to read your long post. I read old books and listen to old music because they convey the emotions which created those pieces of art. The love/hate/sorrow/bliss felt back then is passed on in so many ways. And evoking former traditions described in old stories reminds you of how things were before everybody started getting absorbed by irresponsibly used technology. I got away from social networks because I needed to be bored. But bored with nothing to do, not bored staring at a screen. When you get there is when you try to learn new stuff, or create new things, or think about things that you would not usually give a deep analysis if distracted. Social Networks are the perfect showcase for your newest consumist acquisitions. TV series are also great time leeches. They thicken the confort zone walls so you will not want to change your life style. It happens to me all the time that instead of exchanging opinions with random people about important events happening worldwide, the conversation is monopolyzed by paraphrasing of sitcoms. Shop the necessary, avoid the coarse, remember your true nature and be tolerant.
@sanchoquixote5518
8 жыл бұрын
Bruno i Well put sir. I've forgotten who said it, but I'll paraphrase: All of man's problems are caused by our inability to sit quietly alone. So much stimulation ! So little thought....
@samuelebergamini6370
8 жыл бұрын
+Sancho Quixote You are very true, sir. However I must say, do not despair! The solution and only possible direction is to seek the truth, and that's the only factor us intellectuals shall be preoccupied about. Your comment served your intent better than any strategic plans would. To think of how to better society is too much of a stress to people like you and me. Rather, we should furnish accounts to posterity, do what we believe is right and admire the majesty of our fellow illuminated brothers and sisters for it is the tremendous beauty of man, and it is still alive and breathing in the corners of our world. If we are worth something on this planet, a long time from now history will lead to understanding our present mistakes, this second great cultural degradation; for now, my friend, just roll with it.
Thank you for these words. I used To be bit shamed To admire building of that era.
Yes.An excellent post and good translation.As PathosDistanz points out, minor changes are needed ,but the essential references are there to follow. PPP cites de Chirico because he used Italian 'pittura metafisica' to stylize early films like Accattone,where consumerism has not yet invaded the archaic 'periferia' of Rome. Unlike Ostia,Sabaudia was a wilder,more rural beach where he shared a house with Moravia and other intellectuals.Here they had to confront their own contradictions.
legend
your life makes supreme sence to me to, for you where one off the last and few people that have LIVED. Most people are dead before they die, you werent, is sow much merciless and brutally crude ways. One that lives becomes a Hero. You, Van Gogh, Artaud, Thomas Bernhard, Yukio Michima, and others off course, less knowned: off course. Towards those that are dead even before they have died, i say no, no to you and to your ilk.
It's not "the chirico" it's "de Chirico". Pasolini is referring to the painter Giorgio de Chirico. And Sabaudia should be capitalized.
Gato Barbieri on saxophone???
@theoguggianabravi1539
11 ай бұрын
Indeed
@fabiengerard8142
5 ай бұрын
Gato was actually living in Rome with his Italian wife, Michelle, during the 60s. Very close friend of Bertolucci as well. He collaborated with PPP for the haunting score of the 1969 documentary "Appunti per un'Orestiade africana", which was dedicated to the project he had at the time to direct a feature film in Central Africa after Aeschylus's Oresty, in order to complete a whole Greek trilogy along with "Oedipus Rex" and "Medea". The present video was filmed in 1974 by the TV director Paolo Brunatto, right behind the villa on the Sabaudia beach he was sharing with Moravia, where he'd just been co-writing the script for his "Arabian Nights" with Moravia's partner, Dacia Maraini.
The translation was poor and confusing. I think Sabaudia is very sterile and consumeristic, very plain and without culture or warmth. It looks like it was built in the cheapest most efficient way possible to cut costs. There is no style to it. I think that is the mindset that spurred the same in the post war consumeristic culture. Getting the most for your money is the highest goal. To erascinate this mindset, you have to pull out the fascist ideals. Humility surely isn’t one of them but excessive nationalistic pride. I appreciate his thoughts on the matter. It does make you identify the problem and wonder how to stop it.
Pasolini was a great one... but this translation is awful... and some historical/political incorrect statements as well.
we don''t need the English translation