Fists in the Pocket

In addition to catapulting first-time director Marco Bellocchio to instant celebrity (and a degree of notoriety) among European cineastes, 1965's Fists in the Pocket mercilessly challenged the foundations of Italian society (namely, the institutions of family and Roman Catholicism). It's essentially the blasphemous, tragicomic tale of a dysfunctional family suffering from various "afflictions" (blindness, epilepsy, mental instability), and the pent-up rage of epileptic middle son Alessandro (played by then-newcomer and non-professional Swedish actor Lou Castel; his dialogue is dubbed in Italian by Paolo Carlini), whose delicate psyche constantly threatens to snap. When it does, and he secretly murders his blind mother and younger brother (also epileptic), this act of 'collective suicide' is intended to restore the surviving family to some semblance of normality…but of course it only sends them deeper into their peculiar extremities. Sarcastic, sadistic, and at times grotesquely amusing, Fists in the Pocket divided audiences with its love-it-or-loathe-it, hell-raising depiction of a family in ruins, blasting provincial values to smithereens with themes of matricide, fratricide, and incest that remain provocative several decades later. DVD extras on this Criterion Collection edition include a new documentary chronicling the origin, production, and legacy of the film through interviews with Bellocchio, Castel, costar Paola Pitagora (who plays Alessandro's psychologically unstable sister), film critic Tullio Kezich, and film editor Silvano Agosti; a 2005 interview with filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci (who describes his initial reaction of seeing Bellocchio's film in 1965 and its importance in the context of Italian film history); and an illustrated booklet with informative critical essays and interviews. Still considered by many to be Bellocchio's masterpiece, Fists in the Pocket is the polar opposite of happy-family idealism. Recommended. (J. Shannon) [Blu-ray Review—Sept. 10, 2019—Criterion, 108 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $39.99—Making its debut on Blu-ray, 1965’s Fists in the Pocket features a great transfer with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Extras include the 2005 'making-of' featurette 'A Need for Change' (33 min.), interviews with filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci (11 min.) and scholar Stefano Albertini (11 min.), and an essay by film critic Deborah Young. Bottom line: Bellocchio’s seminal Italian film makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]