The Hawks and the Sparrows

The Hawks and the Sparrows (Uccellacci e uccellini) follows an older man, Totò, and his son Ninetto as they wander through the outskirts and countryside around Rome. Their journey is disrupted by a talking crow that attaches itself to them and lectures them on philosophy, ideology and the meaning of life, questioning whether they understand anything at all. The bird tells them the story of two Franciscan friars ordered by Saint Francis to preach to the hawks and the sparrows, an effort that fails to end the birds' rivalry. These encounters, and the crow's persistent talk, shape a wandering tale that mixes comedy with fantasy and reflection.

Pier Paolo Pasolini directed and wrote the screenplay, working with producer Alfredo Bini for Arco Film. It was his fifth feature in chronological order, arriving between The Gospel According to St. Matthew and Oedipus Rex, a period in which his filmmaking turned toward parable and fable. The cast is led by the Italian comedian Totò, who plays both the father and the friar Ciccillo, alongside Ninetto Davoli as his son, with Femi Benussi, Umberto Bevilacqua and Renato Capogna among the credited performers.

Released in 1966 and running ninety minutes, the film holds a 7.2 rating on IMDb from roughly 6,300 votes and the same score on TMDB from a much smaller pool of 377 votes. A critics' rating of 7 out of 10 from thirteen reviews sits close to those audience figures, suggesting a work valued similarly by critics and viewers alike.