Franco Citti did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Vittorio "Accattone" Cataldi in Accattone.
Not quite realistic with some of the stylistic fantasies of sorts that happen later on, however none the less overall the realism is the approach and is the character known as Accattone played by Franco Citti. Citti's performance is very much like a character who fits the bill, not someone of some hidden beauties rather a very rough man who is existing in this particular world of his. Citti's performance certainly feels lived in, as we enter with him just lounging around as he does with the other men in his slummy existence, and Citti brings a kind of innately bawdy manner of the man engaging in the "Second? World's oldest profession". Citti though isn't someone who leaves you surprised or second-guessing as we see the man engage in his particular flesh trade which is not at all pleasant or sugar-coated here. Nor does Citti sugarcoat his treatment of his prostitute, he's a blunt and rough pimp in his manner and Citti emphasizes this in his performance. There's not some innate goodness, he's a thug pimp through and through.
After his abhorrent activities lead to him being out of his prostitute, Accattone is forced to fend for himself which leads him mostly to drift around Rome with some slight intention of trying to find a replacement but really just more often just existing around his people as he does. And here is where I suppose the challenge of the performance is because Accattone isn't particularly likeable so why should we care about him drifting exactly? Well, I don't exactly, however, I wouldn't say this performance is a failure even if a more charismatic performance overall might've made me like the film more on the whole. Citti's performance does work as being convincing to this character and I guess there is something interesting about truly not being beyond what he is in some ways, even as there are some delusions here that he has about his existence. And while I don't think that truly shows hidden depths Citti does use these moments to suggest some depth within his performance, even if in a way that is still keeping Accattone not all that much more than you would've pegged him to be from the start.
Citti's performance is convincing and that is worth something in terms of portraying the man going along and seemingly just engaging in nonsense that doesn't give him particular purpose even in his adventure to try to find the new prostitute. Citti presents this really more half-heartedly even, and while that might sound low energy, I'd say even that is with purpose. And again while not always aggressively engaging, it certainly never feels dishonest either. The man just prodding along in his sort of malaise is convincing as such and never feels at odds with anything aspect of the film. Citti's performance does work as such, as you do very much believe you are watching this pimp fall into a kind of aimless nothingness as he goes as he does without seeming to truly find anything of note to do with his existence. And I'll say while I certainly did not love this performance by any measure. I won't say that it doesn't remain somewhat intriguing nonetheless, even if it only engaged me up to a certain point.
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