“I am not what you think I am.”

 Porcile (1969) dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini

“I am not what you think I am.”

The film unfolds through two parallel narratives: one set in a barren, undefined past where a young man becomes a cannibal and forms a primitive, lawless existence; the other in modern Germany, where Julian, the son of an industrialist, lives in quiet rebellion against his family and society.

Pier Paolo Pasolini juxtaposes these stories to expose the persistence of violence beneath civilization. The archaic world is raw and instinctual, while the contemporary setting appears controlled and rational—yet both conceal forms of brutality and moral decay.

The visual style shifts between stark landscapes and rigid, composed interiors, reinforcing the contrast between instinct and repression. Performances, including Jean-Pierre Léaud as Julian, are deliberately restrained, emphasizing alienation and emotional detachment.

Rather than offering resolution, the film confronts the viewer with disturbing parallels, suggesting that modern structures of power are not far removed from primal violence. It becomes a critique of bourgeois society, authority, and the mechanisms that normalize cruelty.

Premiering in 1969, the film remains one of Pasolini’s most provocative and unsettling works, emblematic of his radical engagement with politics, philosophy, and human nature.

Production Companies

Euro International Film

Arco Film