Pasolini’s debut Accattone, ‘sponging’, is set in Rome soon after World War Two. Italy is still in a state of chaos, both economical and psychological, and large groups in the population live in desperate poverty. In these conditions plunderers form groups; one of them counts among its members ‘Accattone’, aggressive, reckless and sly. He has Maddalena work for him as a whore. When he falls in love with Stella, he decides to improve his life and find a job. However it is not long before he returns to his old ways.When Pasolini worked on Accattone, he was a convinced communist. This did not however mean he used obvious cliches. Despite his humble roots, Accattone is an oppressor and not a victim. He exploits his women and prefers that to an honest existence. Of the amateur actors (all from Rome) Franco Citti, who plays the lead, also acts in six later Pasolini films, including playing the leading role in Edipo re.
