The Hawks and the Sparrows (1966)

Pier Paolo Pasolini's "The Hawks and the Sparrows"


 Up until now, the films of Pier Paolo Pasolini have been biting allegories of modern social and political concerns. They're rich and subversive. This is precisely why I feel as though his 1966 film "The Hawks and the Sparrows" is a huge let down from his typical standard of film.

The film can be seen as a comedy, although my laughing was kept at a minimum. It centers on the elder Toto and his son, Ninetto, who travers the countryside with a talking crow - who also happens to be a left-wing intellectual. The crow recounts a Marxist allegory involving two friars preaching the Gospel to hawks (representing the powerful) and sparrows (representing the weak). After the story, their journey carries on and faces continued allegories to social injustice.

Despite the good-natured satire and irreverence of the piece, it failed to either entertain or intellectually titillate. The thematic nature of the film lacked much depth and its mockish tone seemed only superficial. I felt as though I gained no attribution from the film and its contents did not seem very engaging to worthy a second consideration.



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