After two films documenting the ragged edges of modern life in Italy, Pasolini appeared to change course with The Gospel According to St. Matthew (the St. does not appear in the original Italian title). But the same urgent, unvarnished realism remains evident in this biblical retelling of the life of Christ from Immaculate Conception to Crucifixion. Cast largely with non-professional actors and shot around Italy’s rugged south, Pasolini combines dialogue drawn from scripture with costuming inspired by Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca and an idiosyncratic soundtrack that features both Bach and Odetta.  

Also screening is Sopralluoghi in Palestina per il vangelo secondo Matteo, a documentary by Pasolini about his travels in the Holy Land seeking locations for Matthew. The director visits many of the original sites of the Gospel—Lake Tiberias, Mount Tabor, the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, and Jerusalem—and reflects on the archaic world once inhabited by Christ.  

The Gospel According to St. Matthew 
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini. Cast: Enrique Irazoqui, Margherita Caruso, Susanna Pasolini, Marcello Morante. 1964. 137 min. Italy/France. B&W. Italian. 35mm. Print from Cinecittà. 

Sopralluoghi in Palestina per il vangelo secondo Matteo 
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini. 1965. 54 min. Italy. B&W. Italian. 35mm. Print from Cinecittà. 

All film screenings of Carnal Knowledge: The Films of Pier Paolo Pasolini are available here.