Rated: NR

Pier Paolo Pasolini made his directorial debut with this uncompromising study of life on the mean streets of Rome. Using a cast of actors drawn mostly from the city's slums, he manages to find a raw poetry in the dealings of the 5 pimps, prostitutes and petty thieves who populate a world with which he was very familiar.

Franco Citti brings an indolent charm to his portrayal of Accattone, a wastrel who's reluctant to work, yet insufficiently ruthless to live by crime. However, it's Pasolini's ability to re-create the teeming urban bustle, which he ironically counterpoints with the music of Bach, that gives this ultimately tragic tale its authenticity and power.

In Italian with English subtitles.