Vale Franco Citti

Citti in Pasolini's The Decameron

Unlikely to make the news in quite the same way as David Bowie or Alan Rickman, the passing of Franco Citti should be recorded on the same page.  Citti was one of the most remarkable figures of post-war Italian cinema, He seemed to arrive fully formed playing the title role of the pimp Accattone in Pier Paolo Pasolini’s debut as a feature film director. The film was a shock to the system, an exploration of Roman low life accompanied by the holiest music of Johann Sebastian Bach.  Two more Pasolini projects follwed in quick succession, Mamma Roma, where the entire cast was subservient to Anna Magnani, and an an adpatation of Pasolini's novel "A Violent Life" directed by Brunello Rondi.

Citti and Pasolini went on to carve out parallel, intersecting and always provocative careers. For fuller appreciations go to recent posts by The Guardian and  the Cineteca di Bologna.