Teorema
1968 film by Pier Paolo Pasolini
Teorema (English: "Theorem") is a 1968 Italian allegorical art film written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. The film centers on an upper-class Milanese family who are introduced to, and then abandoned by, an otherworldly man with a mysterious divine force. Themes include the timelessness of divinity and the spiritual corruption of the bourgeoisie.
Pasolini's sixth film, it was the first time he had worked primarily with professional actors. British actor Terence Stamp stars as the mysterious Visitor, along with Silvana Mangano, Massimo Girotti, Anne Wiazemsky and Laura Betti. Other roles are played by Andrés José Cruz Soublette, Ninetto Davoli, Alfonso Gatto and Carlo De Mejo.
The film was nominated for the Golden Lion 29th Venice International Film Festival, while Laura Betti won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance.
Plot
A mysterious figure known only as The Visitor appears in the lives of a typical bourgeois Italian family. His arrival is heralded at the gates of the family's Milanese estate by an arm-flapping postman. The enigmatic stranger soon engages in sexual affairs with all members of the household: the devoutly religious maid, the sensitive son, the sexually repressed mother, the timid daughter and, finally, the tormented father.
The public source identifies “Teorema” as 1968 film by Pier Paolo Pasolini. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Teorema, film and Pier.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Teorema”, the useful work is to connect “1968 film by Pier Paolo Pasolini” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q914157. The Library of Congress control number is no2009134007. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1968.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Teorema”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Teorema primary sources, Teorema archive and Teorema research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Teorema”?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Teorema” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.