Accattone was Pier Paolo Pasolini.'s debut movie. Despite being filmed from an original screenplay, Accattone is often perceived as a cinematic rendition of Pasolini's earlier novels, particularly The Ragazzi and Violent Life.

In Accattone we see what would later be seen as trademark Pasolini characteristics; a cast of non-professional actors hailing from where the movie is set, and thematic emphasis on impoverished individuals. Pasolini had reviously collaborated with Federico Fellini on Le notti di Cabiria and considered cinema to be writing with reality.