The Decameron 1971

Pier Paolo Pasolini's film The Decameron is a series of short stories from Bocaccio's "Decameron".
Most of the Stories have been adapted for the screen, In MDA1800 we discussed how the story of the Lisabetta who planted her dead lovers head in a basil plant was changed for the screen.
Pasolini changes the ending of the story, in the real version she dies, her brothers find the head and that's the end of the story. However in the film we are left with her tenderly looking after the plant as if things could be okay for her once more. This gives the audience a completely different view of the story, they could be left wanting more, wondering if the sister will ever move on. If Pasolini had decided to keep the original ending her death would leave the story closed, the audience doesn't need to think about it any more. There are other changes he makes too, such as the discovery of the Lisabettas affair by one of her brothers. In the film he is sleeping with a woman just as she is sleeping with Lorenzo, This makes the brother look hypocritical, the audience can see the sexism of that time and relate to Lisabetta as she is abused by her brothers. Another interesting addition is the reaction of one of the other brothers, When he is told of his sisters affair his reaction is over the top to say the least. In class we discussed how this could either be because he is in love with the sister or even Lorenzo. It all adds to the story becoming about sexual double standards rather than that of love and lose.
The other stories in the Decameron all carry the same messages, Sex seams to defeat all other interests, even Religion.