"The Poor Man's "Dolce Vita""
Accattone - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Mo' sto bene.
— Accattone
Context:
Spoken lying on the ground on the Ponte Testaccio bridge after crashing the stolen motorcycle.
Meaning:
Translates to "Now I'm fine." His final words, spoken as he dies. It signifies that death is the only relief from the suffering of his life; he has finally found peace.
L'angel di Dio mi prese, e quel d'inferno gridava: O tu del ciel, perché mi privi? Tu te ne porti di costui l'eterno per una lacrimetta che 'l mi toglie.
— Epigraph (Dante Alighieri)
Context:
Shown as text on screen at the very beginning of the film.
Meaning:
From Purgatorio, Canto V. It speaks of a soul saved from Hell by a "little tear" of repentance. It frames Accattone's story as a spiritual struggle for a shred of dignity.
Il lavoro un giorno o l'altro ammazza.
— Accattone
Context:
Said after he quits his brief stint at manual labor, physically exhausted and unable to cope.
Meaning:
"Work creates a man, but it destroys him too." (Or more literally: Work will kill you sooner or later). Accattone's rejection of the capitalist work ethic, viewing labor not as dignity but as a death sentence.
Io so' nato con la vocazione del ladro... Tu non sei nato con la vocazione del pappa e perciò fai l'accattone.
— Balilla
Context:
Balilla explaining to Accattone why he struggles to survive in their world.
Meaning:
"I was born with a thief's vocation... You weren't born with a pimp's vocation, that's why you're a beggar." It defines Accattone's failure—he is incompetent even at being a criminal.