| Appunti per un'Orestiade Africana. Pasolini's attempt | | | | the stain of colonialism. We never see a frank and |
| to set the Greek trilogy of plays in Central Africa is a | | | | open discussion of the meaning of the director's |
| project of great promise and possibly insurmountable | | | | relationship with his subject, Africa, no matter how |
| problems. In this documentary, the filmmaker | | | | many times the students dance around the problem |
| presents his vision, warts and all, and possibly hints at | | | | with their inarticulate answers. It is difficult to watch. |
| the reason for its failure. | | | | Mercifully, the African footage comes back on, |
| It is 1970, a period of revolutionary fervor in Italy | | | | following the storyline of the second play, The |
| and indeed throughout the world, and Pier Paolo | | | | Libation Bearers. The action is brutal and murder is |
| Pasolini is one of the filmmakers who best represents | | | | the pivotal action in this play. The tone is different in |
| that spirit. In this atmosphere he makes a daring | | | | this footage as well. There are scenes of war, |
| attempt to present sub-Saharan Africa from a | | | | executions, mourning, graveside rituals. Some of this |
| post-colonial, militantly leftist point of view. Can this | | | | is newsreel from the war in Biafra, Nigeria. Pasolini |
| Italian, just 25 years after the end of Italy's | | | | may be in over his head here, but he pulls it off, |
| disastrous imperialist adventures, really chuck all the | | | | bringing these scenes together with the help of the |
| cultural baggage and create something with a fresh | | | | words of the iconic Greek drama. The Africans in |
| point of view? No. The failure is a surprise for | | | | Pasolini's viewfinder grow immensely symbolic, and he |
| everyone, including Pasolini, and it is to his credit that | | | | finds the main character, Orestes, in the person of |
| he was willing to put this mixed documentary | | | | an exquisitely expressive African man who calms the |
| together to record the inconsistencies and paradoxes | | | | air with his powerful presence. Once again Pasolini |
| that lead his project to its inevitable dead-end. | | | | reminds us of his unequaled sense of cinematic art |
| Orestiade, or Oresteia in English, refers to a trilogy of | | | | and his deep understanding of what is beautiful in a |
| Greek tragedies by Aeschylus. The idea of setting | | | | man. But then there is the musical interlude, a |
| the story in Africa is intriguing and full of interesting | | | | combination of exquisitely hysterical riffs by the |
| symbolism, and Pasolini dives in with enthusiasm. He | | | | Argentine saxophonist Gato Barbieri, and some |
| begins by giving a short synopsis of the Oresteia in | | | | excruciatingly absurd singing by two African American |
| voiceover, as we see the faces of people on the | | | | singers, Archie Savage and Yvonne Murray. He sings |
| streets of Uganda and several other countries. After | | | | overly legato lines in a Paul Robeson bass voice that |
| the synopsis, he begins assigning these people | | | | could be effective, but she has a problem coming to |
| possible roles in the first play, Agamemnon. There are | | | | terms with her segments. This is operatic, in the way |
| returning warriors, an unfaithful wife and plotting | | | | that opera sounds when caricatured by someone |
| offspring and just like that, we are drawn in, because | | | | who hates opera. And Miss Murray certainly looks like |
| we can immediately see the larger than life | | | | she hates this gig. Her voice is annoyingly shrill and |
| characters of Greek tragedy merging with the | | | | hollow at the same time, her melody repetitive and |
| throbbing humanity in these images. The magic is | | | | impoverished. This is the exact opposite of bel canto, |
| powerful and there is the feeling that Pasolini could | | | | and if there were a performance indication at the top |
| go on just like this with his project, narrating the | | | | of her page, it would probably say something like "a |
| action in voiceover, and depicting the scenes simply | | | | squarciagola." In other words, shout like a hoarse |
| with the faces and gestures of the people. | | | | hyena. |
| In fact, maybe Pasolini should have gone ahead in | | | | In the second session with the students, Pasolini |
| just that way, making this his private Greek tragedy | | | | begins with a question about whether these Africans |
| overlaying a collage of fascinating African scenes. At | | | | identify with the character of Orestes discovering a |
| least then there would be an honest distinction | | | | new world. He gets the same cryptic and troubled |
| between the European fantasies and the African | | | | answers as before. He does manages to get them |
| realities. Everyone would have come together on | | | | talking about the uniqueness of the African soul, |
| their own terms and would be able to go their | | | | though, when he switches to a discussion of the |
| separate ways at the end. | | | | power of traditional culture to ameliorate the effects |
| But Pasolini believed in the correctness of his | | | | of modern consumerism. But when he asks them |
| approach, and the beneficial effects of the | | | | how he should continue the story, and how he might |
| progressive forces he represented. He had high | | | | render the transformation of wrathful Furies into |
| hopes for his film. However, the scenes with the | | | | forgiving Eumenides. He is back to talking about his |
| African students in Rome brings this high flying | | | | project as though it were a game or a masquerade. |
| project crashing back to earth. | | | | These students are talking about their destinies, the |
| About ten minutes into the documentary, the lights | | | | lives and deaths of their countrymen, their own |
| come up and we are in an auditorium at the | | | | identity, and Pasolini wants to focus on the minutiae |
| University of Rome. Pasolini is there with a group of | | | | of scene building for his film. In all, there are no smiles |
| African students, all male, all dressed formally, many | | | | in this room, no enthusiastic confirmation of Pasolini's |
| wearing jackets and ties. He explains to them that he | | | | insight into Africanness, no spontaneous identification |
| wanted to make this film in Africa because he saw | | | | with the African Orestes. |
| so many similarities between modern Africa and | | | | The African footage returns with the final play, |
| Ancient Greece. So the question that he puts to the | | | | Eumenides, as its focus. Pasolini searches for the way |
| students is, should he set the story in 1960, at the | | | | to present that transformation of the Furies. He |
| time of independence, or in 1970, that is, in the | | | | shows scenes of street dancers, processions, |
| present day. The question seems incredibly banal, | | | | wedding receptions. These are wonderfully evocative |
| superficial and irrelevant. Doesn't he want to hear the | | | | scenes, and his possibilities seem to multiply before |
| students' opinions on anything they have just seen, | | | | our eyes. Truly, Pasolini could make a great film out |
| or is he just interested in some technical advice? | | | | of this project, in spite of it all. |
| The faces of the students are like stone. This is | | | | Pasolini must have been profoundly disappointed by |
| 1970, they certainly know that they are in the | | | | the responses from the auditorium, and considering |
| presence of one of the great artists of the new | | | | the depth of his knowledge and his appreciations of |
| "revolutionary" Italy, the part of society that is really | | | | irony, and his genuine humility, I don't think that the |
| their hosts and protectors in this storm tossed | | | | true nature of the problem escaped him for very |
| European country. Yet they seem torn, and unsure | | | | long. His questions had ignored the real problem that |
| what to say. In many instances, the speaking of just | | | | was there as plain as day. Could this Greek Orestes |
| a few words is enough to allow a break in the | | | | have any significance to the African situation, and |
| impassivity and let through a peak at the discomfort | | | | indeed, why should it? Did he have the license to |
| beneath. One student from Ethiopia speaks in | | | | make such a film, using Africans as his workers, |
| measured objection to the concept, and seems to | | | | forever ordered here and there and never given the |
| be controlling an urge to shout out his protests. He | | | | chance to make their own decisions and create their |
| says he cannot comment on Africa, because he | | | | own tragedy as they saw it? Was his film simply just |
| personally only knows Ethiopia. You cannot generalize | | | | another exercise in colonialism? |
| about the whole continent, he tells Pasolini. Another | | | | For some reason, Pasolini never completed this |
| student objects to the use of the word "tribes" and | | | | project. This is a pity. He should have gone with his |
| wants to refer to races and nations instead. Pasolini's | | | | personal vision, created his unique work of art, and |
| response to this sounds insensitive and dismissive, | | | | let the implications lead where they may. But he |
| telling him that it was the European colonialists who | | | | couldn't: he was the engaged, connected artist, |
| had drawn the maps of Nigeria, and thus Nigerian | | | | committed to an international struggle. The lack of |
| history was a falsehood. The student is visibly | | | | solidarity for his project meant its doom. Still, the |
| frustrated, but keeps his council, and accepts the | | | | documentary remains, and in itself, it is a powerful |
| great filmmaster's observations. | | | | statement showing the tragic disconnect between |
| The students knew something was wrong, even if | | | | European and African, and judging from the |
| they couldn't quite put their finger on it. But Pasolini is | | | | difficulties encountered by both Pasolini and his |
| oblivious. The rebel, iconoclast and literary | | | | musicians, the inability of either one to truthfully |
| revolutionary pictured himself outside of the colonial | | | | express the beauty of Africa using the tools of |
| and imperialistic hierarchy of European and Italian | | | | European art. Perhaps someday it will be possible, but |
| history, as though his good intentions alone were | | | | not in 1970, and probably still not today. |
| enough to subtract him and cleanse his project of | | | | |