Handlung

A pimp with no other means to provide for himself finds his life spiraling out of control when his prostitute is sent to prison.

In a seedy section of Rome, Vittorio Cataldi--"Accattone" ("beggar") to those who know him--lives off the avails of prostitution, Maddalena being his only girl. He is married to Ascenza with who he has young son Iaio, but he does not live with them, provide for them, or play any important role in their lives (they live with her father and brother). He generally hangs out with his similarly-slack friends, playing cards and drinking. His income source is threatened when Maddalena is hit by a motorcyclist, then beaten by rivals of his, which leads to her being arrested and jailed for a year. Largely because of Iaio, Accattone contemplates going straight and getting a real job. Then he meets Stella, an innocent young woman who has had a hard life, but is not as naive as she first appears. Accattone falls in love with her, but as the thought of working a steady job now becomes abhorrent, contemplates pimping for Stella. As Accattone and Stella's relationship progresses, Accattone's past might come back to haunt him.—Huggo

Enduring a miserable, hand-to-mouth existence in the mean streets of an unseen Rome, repellent layabout and despicable procurer Vittorio has justly earned his odious nickname of "Accattone". Narcissistic and violent, Accattone hasn't worked a single day in his life, depending on easy prey to exploit; however, when Maddalena, his prize streetwalker and downtrodden breadwinner, becomes unable to work, his world falls apart. Before long, sweet and wide-eyed Stella will take Maddalena's place, and unscrupulous Vittorio can pick up where he left off, but things are different now. Can he quit while he still has a few shreds of dignity left in his heart? Is Accattone capable of change?—Nick Riganas

Pasolini's first film is a painfully realistic study of a pimp in Rome. Vittorio Accattone has never worked a day in his life, but has apparently made a good living pimping out his female companion Maddalena. But her arrest begins his decline: hungry, he begs from churches and even visits his estranged wife and son. When Stella, a lovely and unbelievably innocent peasant worker, enters his life, Accattone tries to find a way, honest or not, to bring back good fortune.—Gary Dickerson <slug@mail.utexas.edu>

In the poor periphery of Rome of the 60's, despicable Vittorio "Accattone" Cataldi (Franco Citti) is maintained by the hooker Maddalena (Silvana Corsini), spending the time with his useless idle friends. When the prostitute is arrested for perjury, the pimp "Accattone" has nobody to support him, but he seduces the naive worker Stella (Franca Pasut) and she becomes a prostitute. However, Accattone has a crush on Stella and decides to find a way to support her, with tragic consequences.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil