Billed as an ‘evergreen performer’ Digance refers a lot to his age, and to that of the audience. His gentle humour and songs are delivered in a relaxed, intimate way, which makes relaxed and comfortable in his company within half a minute of his being on stage. He says he has his bus pass, and makes fun of our age worries, lifting any personal concerns into the public arena of this friendly gathering, and managing to make his audience feel affectionately towards the dreaded decline. One song is a scamper through a cornucopia of childhood memories, including every kind of sweet imaginable, and some toys and games which, to his surprise, most of those watching him tonight know too well, causing much laughter. His guitar playing is a delight, and his skills are varied, running through a variety of playing styles whilst giving each piece a ragtime feel. The music, and the humour, trips along with a laid back, quirky rhythm, and the warmth of the audience is evident. Richard Digance and his guitar playing are a winning combination. He charms us all with his inclusive approach and material, and makes it feel more than okay to be 60; he makes it feel wonderful. Life has been good. We pity the youngsters. What do they know?
Accatone! (1961) is the first film by director Piers Paulo Pasolini and re-relased as part of a box set of his work. Accatone! features a pitiless, self-serving, manipulative young pimp living in the slums and rubble of Rome, whose lassitude is infectious. Images of his death recur throughout the film and he seems barely living. The exclamation mark in the title may be there to try and wake him up. Pasolini shot the film on the streets, using the people he found there rather than professional actors. The effect is a slow moving realism which casts the viewer as reluctant voyeur; it is impossible to gain any distance from the unrelenting sadism of hollow machismo. Seeing this film fifty years after it was made, the misogyny in this film is deeply disturbing; women are either Madonna, virgin or whore. Accatone says prostitution is ‘a mother’s situation’ which provides the mixed message that it’s selfless and necessary for survival, yet he and his friends view whores as trash; to...
Comments