Trilogy Of Life: Three films by Pier Paolo Pasolini Coming to Blu-ray this September 9 in a 3 Disc Collection Set

In the early 1970s, the great Italian poet, philosopher, and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini (Salò, or The 120 Days of Sodom) brought to the screen a trio of masterpieces of pre-modern world literature – Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron (1971), Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales (1972) and The Thousand and One Nights (1974) (often known as The Arabian Nights) – and in doing so created his most uninhibited and extravagant work, which he titled his ‘Trilogy of Life’. On 9 September, the BFI releases the trilogy in a new Blu-ray edition, using High Definition masters new to the UK. Special features in the set include Notes for an African Oresteia (1970) and an interview with Robin Askwith about Pasolini.

Challenging consumer capitalism and celebrating the uncorrupted human body while commenting on contemporary sexual and religious mores and hypocrisies, Pasolini’s scatological humour and rough-hewn sensuality leave all modern standards of decency behind.

Full of bawdy, earthy spirit, The Decameron romps through its tales of sex and death – of lusty nuns and priests, cuckolded husbands, murdered lovers and grave-robbers – with five of the stories linked by the character of an intriguing artist, played by Pasolini himself.

Plunging with gusto into some of the blackest and bawdiest of The Canterbury Tales, Pasolini celebrates almost every conceivable form of sexual act with a rich, earthy humour. A particular delight is the use of a largely British cast, including Hugh Griffith, Jenny Runacre and Tom Baker, and Pasolini takes the part of Chaucer.

Arabian Nights was two years in the making. The locations – Yemen, Ethiopia, Iran and Nepal – form a rich, exotic backdrop to these tales of slaves and kings, potions, betrayals, demons and, most of all, love and lovemaking in all its myriad forms. Engrossing, mysterious, profound and liberating, Arabian Nights is an exquisitely dreamlike, sensuous and adult interpretation of the original folk tales.

Special features

· Presented in High Definition

· Includes both Italian language and English language versions of all three films

· Notes for an African Oresteia (1970, 73 mins): Pasolini’s visual notes for an unrealised film project

· Pasolini and the Italian Genre Film (2009, 37 mins)

· Robin Askwith on Pier Paolo Pasolini (2015, 23 mins)

· Deleted sequences (1974, 21 mins): deleted sequences from Pasolini’s Arabian Night

· Trailers

· Illustrated booklet with essays by Sam Rohdie and Roger Clarke, original reviews, biography of Pasolini and full film credits (NB. first pressing only)

Product details

RRP: £34.99/ Cat. no. BFIB1358 / Cert 18

Italy, France, Germany / 1971-1974 / colour / 352 minutes / Italian language, with English subtitles / original aspect ratios 1.85:1 / BD50 x 3: 1080p, 24fps, PCM mono audio (48kHz/24-bit)

BFI releases are available from all good home entertainment retailers or by mail order from the BFI Shop Tel: 020 7815 1350 or online

About the BFI

The BFI is the UK’s lead organisation for film, television and the moving image. It is a cultural charity that:

· Curates and presents the greatest international public programme of World Cinema for audiences; in cinemas, at festivals and online

· Cares for the BFI National Archive – the most significant film and television archive in the world

· Actively seeks out and supports the next generation of filmmakers

· Works with Government and industry to make the UK the most creatively exciting and prosperous place to make film internationally

Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Josh Berger CBE.