Ermanno Olmi was a documentary maker in Italy during the 1950s. His roots were in the neo-realism movement that he, like most film fans, greatly admired and cherished their realistic stories. His arrival in the scene as an important voice was cemented with "Il Posto", a film that established him as a man to be reckoned with.
We had seen a restored copy of this magnificent film when it was shown at New York's Film Forum about four years ago and recently, we decided to take another look of the Criterion DVD, a wonderful transfer that will probably open his work to movie lovers all over. "Il Posto" is a great film because it doesn't pretend to be otherwise. Mr. Olmi, working on the screen play with Ettore Lombardo created a picture of the Italy during the boom after their defeat in WWII, as the country was getting back to the business of reconstruction.
It was about this time that cities like Milan and Turin, in the north of the country, became the centers for manufacturing and commerce. It is in this context that we are taken to meet Domenico Cantoni and his family. They have come to Meda, a suburb of Milan, in search of better paid jobs. In the case of Domenico, scoring a position in one of those giant companies it means steady income and a job for life.
Domenico is a clever young man and passes his math test with flying colors. This is the moment when he first sees another young woman, Magali, who is also taking the test. Domenico likes what he sees, but he is too shy to do anything that will make Magali think less of him. When he receives a notification for further tests and interviews, it appears he has been accepted by the firm. This, in turn, turns to be a situation that changes his hopes for developing some sort of relationship with Magali as they are assigned to two different areas of work. Domenico can't even see Magali during his lunch time because they are assigned to different shifts.
As Domenico, who aspires to be an accountant within the firm, is assigned to be a messenger apprentice, something he clearly doesn't deserve, but he must accept, we follow him around different areas within the company. We are taken to watch the people in one typical accounting department, where older employees bide their time until they can retire. Domenico, who hopes to finally hook up with Magali at the company's New Year's party, is once again disappointed when she never arrives. Instead, he must spend a night surrounded by the same people he will be working with. The final sequence of the film shows how Domenico is able to move to the spot where he will probably spend the rest of his life, in which he, being the youngest, is suddenly the center of the department's ill will.
Sandro Panseri makes a fantastic Domenico. This non-professional actor registers in his face all what is going in his head without great gestures, or other affectations. Domenico conquers the viewer's heart because he is genuine and because we realize the goodness in his soul. Loredana Detto, who appears as Magali also makes an impression.
"Il Posto" is blessed by Pier Emilio Bassi's music score and by the black and white cinematography of Roberto Barbieri and Lamberto Caimi. The film is a triumph for Ermanno Olmi, who captured the ambiance and the gist of that era in a wonderful film that will live forever.
We had seen a restored copy of this magnificent film when it was shown at New York's Film Forum about four years ago and recently, we decided to take another look of the Criterion DVD, a wonderful transfer that will probably open his work to movie lovers all over. "Il Posto" is a great film because it doesn't pretend to be otherwise. Mr. Olmi, working on the screen play with Ettore Lombardo created a picture of the Italy during the boom after their defeat in WWII, as the country was getting back to the business of reconstruction.
It was about this time that cities like Milan and Turin, in the north of the country, became the centers for manufacturing and commerce. It is in this context that we are taken to meet Domenico Cantoni and his family. They have come to Meda, a suburb of Milan, in search of better paid jobs. In the case of Domenico, scoring a position in one of those giant companies it means steady income and a job for life.
Domenico is a clever young man and passes his math test with flying colors. This is the moment when he first sees another young woman, Magali, who is also taking the test. Domenico likes what he sees, but he is too shy to do anything that will make Magali think less of him. When he receives a notification for further tests and interviews, it appears he has been accepted by the firm. This, in turn, turns to be a situation that changes his hopes for developing some sort of relationship with Magali as they are assigned to two different areas of work. Domenico can't even see Magali during his lunch time because they are assigned to different shifts.
As Domenico, who aspires to be an accountant within the firm, is assigned to be a messenger apprentice, something he clearly doesn't deserve, but he must accept, we follow him around different areas within the company. We are taken to watch the people in one typical accounting department, where older employees bide their time until they can retire. Domenico, who hopes to finally hook up with Magali at the company's New Year's party, is once again disappointed when she never arrives. Instead, he must spend a night surrounded by the same people he will be working with. The final sequence of the film shows how Domenico is able to move to the spot where he will probably spend the rest of his life, in which he, being the youngest, is suddenly the center of the department's ill will.
Sandro Panseri makes a fantastic Domenico. This non-professional actor registers in his face all what is going in his head without great gestures, or other affectations. Domenico conquers the viewer's heart because he is genuine and because we realize the goodness in his soul. Loredana Detto, who appears as Magali also makes an impression.
"Il Posto" is blessed by Pier Emilio Bassi's music score and by the black and white cinematography of Roberto Barbieri and Lamberto Caimi. The film is a triumph for Ermanno Olmi, who captured the ambiance and the gist of that era in a wonderful film that will live forever.