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The Canterbury Tales

Play trailer Poster for The Canterbury Tales NC-17 Released Sep 2, 1971 1h 51m Comedy Drama History Play Trailer Watchlist
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60% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Glimpses of Chaucer penning his famous work are sprinkled through this re-enactment of several of his stories.

Critics Reviews

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Dave Kehr Chicago Reader If Pasolini had something more than grubby fantasy on his mind -- and presumably he did -- it isn't immediately apparent. Oct 23, 2007 Full Review Michael Bronski Gay Community News (Boston) The Canterbury Tales isn’t a great film, but it’s enjoyable, and infinitely more intelligent than most of the pulp that is passed off as entertainment. May 12, 2022 Full Review Christopher Hudson The Spectator Canterbury Tales is a caricature, utterly lacking in poetry of human feeling, which cannot be excused by Pasolini's ignorance of Chaucer or the contempt he affects for the prudery of the society he lives in. Apr 30, 2020 Full Review James Kendrick Q Network Film Desk the brash, arguably campy manner in which Pasolini transcribes Chaucer's medieval bawdiness to the screen, coupled with the film's various technical faults (particularly the lousy dubbed dialogue), tends to make the film a chore to watch. Rated: 1.5/4 Jan 4, 2013 Full Review TV Guide After the formidable commercial success of his bawdy Decameron, Pier Pasolini applied the same formula to Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales with somewhat less appealing results. Rated: 2.5/4 Oct 23, 2007 Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Rated: 4/5 Oct 21, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Hubert S Niezdatny do oglądania. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/25 Full Review jordan m There are hotdog eating contests with less wieners than this movie has. In retrospect I do wish I had been able to watch this and see the artistry behind it, but I couldn't. The truly comedic parts are few and far between (the guy getting his ass branded was a highlight) and the underlying purpose of the movie seemed to be to linger as long as possible on the nude forms of non-actors who were willing to do this for the money, knowing they had no intention of pursuing a legitimate acting career. The ending sails past the line of artistic merit and social commentary and serves purely to challenge the audience to sit through it. It's almost like the Jackass of its era except that it masquerades as legitimate cinematic art. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The weakest link in Pasolini's Trilogy of Life, the Canterbury Tales fails where the Decameron and Arabian Nights succeed in transforming bawdiness into something metaphysical. As a burlesque comedy it succeeds, but it couldn't possibly measure up to the other entries in the trilogy. I think I made a mistake in watching the English dub of the film, although the Italian dub also suffers in not matching up with the visuals. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Not even, but at the finale Pasolini’s vision is overwhelmingly powerful and redeems the movie’s weaknesses. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/14/19 Full Review Audience Member The second part of the Trilogy of Life shows Pasolini's comical assumption about England during the medieval era. The costumes, the store, and the sendoff to Chaplin are the only saving graces in this film and that really is not enough to recommend. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member A hymn to youth, love and sexual desire. Mischievous and blasphemous as the look on Pasolini's eyes playing Chaucer himself. A genuine "Pasolinian" movie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Canterbury Tales

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Cast & Crew

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Pier Paolo Pasolini

Director

Hugh Griffith

Sir January

Ninetto Davoli

Perkin

Franco Citti

The Devil

Laura Betti

The Wife from Bath

Josephine Chaplin

May
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The Canterbury Tales

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Movie Info

Synopsis Glimpses of Chaucer penning his famous work are sprinkled through this re-enactment of several of his stories.
Director
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Screenwriter
Pier Paolo Pasolini, Geoffrey Chaucer
Distributor
Aidart
Production Co
Produzioni Europee Associati, Les Productions Artistes Associés
Rating
NC-17
Genre
Comedy, Drama, History
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 2, 1971, Wide
Runtime
1h 51m