Fists in the Pocket

A synopsis of Bellocchio's amazing first film might suggest an Italian version of US TV's Soap, with its story of a family variously plagued by epilepsy, blindness, low IQs and raging frustration. But Bellocchio orders his material and directs his actors with such verve and passion that audiences have little time and less inclination to giggle. In particular, Lou Castel's performance as Alessandro, a teenage epileptic ultimately driven to frenzied acts of violence, seethes with a hateful energy rarely seen on the screen. Both Castel and Bellocchio have been simmering down quietly ever since. A stunning film, literally.