OSTIA

Cinemavixion Review

Sergio Citti's "Ostia" (1970), a film co-written with the legendary Pier Paolo Pasolini, stands as a stark and unvarnished portrait of marginalized humanity. Set against the desolate backdrop of Rome's periphery, the film delves into the lives of brothers Bandiera (Franco Citti) and Rabbino (Laurent Terzieff), whose existence is a tapestry of petty crime and survival. Their grim, symbiotic relationship is irrevocably altered by the appearance of Monica (Anita Sanders), a woman found unconscious, who ignites a volatile mix of desire, jealousy, and violence. This encounter propels their fraternal bond towards a tragic conclusion, weaving together echoes of ancient myths with a profound sense of existential sin. Citti crafts a powerful and radical cinematic statement, characterized by its uncompromising vision and raw poeticism. The film's exploration of its characters' moral decay and the consequences of their actions remains a compelling, albeit bleak, testament to a cinema unafraid to confront the darker facets of the human condition. While the external data notes a 6.7 IMDb rating, the film's true value lies in its bold artistic choices and its unflinching gaze into the lives of the dispossessed.