Pasolini's informal interviews with Italians about sexual matters doesn't make for a perfect study or a perfect documentary, but it does provide an interesting window into the time period, and it was pretty unique as well. The people he talks to seem to provide a pretty good sample, including those from many regions in Italy and across various categories - men/women, old/young, city/rural, college educated/blue collar, and conservative/liberal. As most of his interviews are conducted in big groups and what appear to be impromptu meetings I don't think it was all that scientific, and wondered how many things were left unsaid out of social pressure. However, in the end I felt like people hadn't been shy with expressing their opinions, and a picture was painted of a changing country - the deeply conservative aspects gradually facing inevitable progress.

The questions that Pasolini seemed most concerned with were:

Is sex important? Are young girls as free as young boys? Should a woman be a virgin when she gets married? Does marriage solve the "sexual issue"? What do you think of sexual "abnormality"? (by this he means, argh, homosexuality) Should divorce be legalized in Italy? (it wasn't possible in the country until 1970)

It's a little tough to hear some of the answers, e.g. about how women are inferior and shouldn't be allowed to work or even go out to a café alone, how a woman should be killed if she commits adultery instead of divorced (to lots of jokes and smiles!),or how homosexuals are disgusting and should be "cured." It was also a little tough to hear Pasolini push so much for prostitution, asking young women workers why they don't make a lot more money by selling themselves, not thinking to interview a prostitute about the significant dangers of her profession or the emotions involved with selling one's body. Similarly, he doesn't interview someone who is gay, even with their identity concealed. His questions often reflect the patriarchy and conformity, making it a window into Pasolini in addition to the window into Italy, and I say that knowing his orientation.

I don't fault the film too much for these things because it's reflecting the society in 1964, and I'm happy times have changed. If a documentary was made about values today, I'm certain that when viewed over half a century later we, too, would collectively appear backward (hell, we appear pretty backward even today :). It was also a pleasure to hear answers which were real gems, a lot of times from young women, professing a desire for equality between the sexes, an end to the outmoded double standard, and practicality in allowing divorce. In a couple of places a clear link is formed between poverty and some of the archaic attitudes, which I found fantastic. That included one guy explaining that sexual harassment at work is a problem thusly:

Man on street: "Freedom is conquered through work. In Germany, they work from when they're 12 to old age. ... In Palermo, if a woman goes to work, her brother grabs her and says, 'Where are you off to?' 'To work.' 'You can't go. The boss will harass you.' Do you understand?" Pasolini: "And so you agree that if economic conditions changed in Palermo..." Man on street: "When employers learn how to behave with girls! Only then! When employers are polite towards women."

Pasolini then idiotically says "but the boss can't have sex with one hundred workers," which even if he's playing devil's advocate is a flawed argument in several respects and which leads to a response that goes down the rathole, that yes indeed, here in Sicily one or two women a day could be easily done. These are the kinds of things you put up with in Love Meetings.

Yet another el-cheapo Pasolini production where this grossly overrated movie-maker bashes the hapless viewer over the head with his own personal political views - based entirely on his self-confessed Marxist agenda pushing. In this effort, he travels through Italy asking everyday Italians about their personal views on sexuality. As an interviewer he leaves much to be desired - his set-up questions (and these are very limited indeed) are weighted to elicit the response he intends to achieve from each subject. Some answers are quite good but all too often Pasolini will congratulate those who answer in a manner he wants from them or will cut-off or ignore those who see through his thinly camouflaged anti-family, Marxist philosophies.

A good (honest) interviewer will allow his subjects to answer as they believe, then allow those with differing views to state their augment for debate. Not this fellow, he is simply out to critically silence any political (or Christian) attempts at moral decision making - to introduce and support his own thinly veiled, corrupt, 'anything goes' philosophies. Many will want to accept and follow like sheeople but with the PC world now being 'forced' into accepting these superficial falsehoods - many have begun to question, and examine the outcomes more thoroughly.

Ninety per cent of Pasolini's movies deal with his obsession for human perversion - with many of his works being banned throughout the world for extreme moral grotesqueness. Unfortunately, some people overindulge in all forms of pornography, irrespective of how degrading, vile or dangerous a form it takes - these make up many of his supporters. Ugly, relentlessly repugnant movies like 'The 120 Days of Sodom' continue to repulse audiences worldwide but defenders of his sick obsessions shout about 'artistic' freedom as a defence.

His heavy Marxist and Homosexual obsessions eventually took his life with one of his scorned male 'lovers' stabbing him to death. Suffice it to say, this saved the world from any further of his degradations (apologies in advance to those who differ)

The DVD release of these interviews is inferior in quality, with fuzzy image and white sub-titles that 'burn out' against poorly graded white backgrounds.

Pasolini filmed this documentary in 1963, looking for an account of sexual life in Italy at a turning point in history. He travels south and north, to towns and countryside, interviewing intellectuals, workers, farmers and kids. The result is a strikingly accurate portrait of diversities in the country, and of inhibitions and problems to talk about a "natural" thing. Between the notable people interviewed, Nobel prize poet Ungaretti, writers Moravia, Cederna, Fallaci, a whole professional football team, and more.

What stroke me more is the great journalistic pace of the documentary, the technique of intermixing different areas of the country, a very clever approach. A great work still "modern" nowadays.

Sadly amusing the part where Pasolini (an homosexual himself) asked common people an opinion about homosexuality receiving answers of total denigration.