Il Posto (1963)

Lack of good storyline.

Absolutely Fantastic

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

In 1928, King Vidor directed a terrific silent film, "The Crowd". It was about a young couple who live in a big and impersonalized city and it portrays their struggle to maintain their sanity in such a world. In so many ways "Il Posto" is like an updated Italian version of this silent classic.Ermanno Olmi directs this movie is a sparse and almost documentary style--with very subdued performances and a heightened sense of it just being everyday life. There is no pretty soundtrack, the lighting is often very naturalistic and the acting is very simple and low-key. Some may dislike this, as it does make the movie much slower and less exotic than a typical film--even a typical Italian film. I see it as a further evolution of the Italian Neo-realism style of film making--something that can be super-effective.Domenico and Antonietta are two very young people (to me they appear about 17) that seek out jobs at a mega-company--one that is very bureaucratic and impersonalized. They not only interview for the jobs but go through very exhaustive testing until they learn that they do have jobs. Much of the film portrays all the many steps needed to obtain the jobs. Unfortunately for Domenico, the job he wants as a clerk is filled, so he takes a job as an office boy until something better is available.For 93 minutes the film tells the story of these young people. However, there really are never any fireworks or excitement--just a straight telling of this period in their lives. Not surprisingly, the young and not particularly flashy actor and actress that starred in this film had very limited film careers--Loredana Detto (Antoinetta) only appearing in this film and Sandro Panseri (Domenico) only having three credits. They just seemed like ordinary folks--a strength in this movie but not something that will usually cause an acting career to flourish.Overall, this is a well-made but not particularly exciting film. I can respect the subdued style but wish the film had just a bit more energy--though I can understand that would have most likely not been the sort of film they had envisioned. Its mundane nature IS the point of the film--that life can be very ordinary and monotonous. It just makes for a tough viewing experience, however. If you are very patient, the film is well worth your time.

After graduation, director Ermanno Olmi's working class teenager Sandro Panseri (as Domenico Cantoni) is lucky to get a position at a nearby Milan industrial corporation. We seen him take the subway to the city, and go through the hiring process. The applicants take a series of aptitude tests. Intellectual, psychological, and physical abilities are examined. Panseri meets a beautiful young woman who is close to his age, and they take a testing break together. She is Loredana Detto (as Antonietta "Magali" Masetti). The company hires Panseri as an administrative messenger. Ms. Detto is hired as a typist, but works in another building.Panseri hopes to see Detto at the company-sponsored New Year's Eve celebration. Panseri manages to slip out for the event, but Detto never arrives; she is either not permitted to go out, or has accepted another invitation. At the party, Panseri shares his complimentary bottle with an older couple. He shyly accepts a relatively unattractive woman's invitation to dance. Later, Panseri is promoted to a desk job. He is noticed as young and cute by several good-looking young women. Presumably, he will marry one of these women and work at this corporate "job for life" while occasionally drinking alcohol to forget his dull existence.********* Il Posto (1961) Ermanno Olmi ~ Sandro Panseri, Loredana Detto, Tullio Kezich, Guido Spadea

So much of this movie is built around the reserved gestures and stolen glances of the lead character Domenico. We watch Domenico slowly wake up each day while his family wonders if he will pass the testing requirements that will enable him to land a job for life. Domenico's younger brother will be the one who gets to go to school, Domenico, it has been decided will be the one who must work. We see first off how this change in his life makes him somewhat ashamed to travel on the train with others who are going to school. All of this is accomplished with just a look of sadness and shame.From there we see Domenico enter into the testing process. After entering into a crowded waiting room with all eyes staring through each who enter, Domenico shuffles into the crowd and away from the door and all of the watchful eyes. Every scene becomes another part of a larger process of self discovery.Domenico falls in love with Antonietta, a girl who is also testing for a job. While having coffee on a lunch break, the girl shares her spoon with Domenico and goes so far as to stir his coffee, a scene that plays out not only as an innocent bonding experience, but as subtle sexual foreplay.In Domenico's world we see him gradually climb the footstool of success, we see him smile a little bit more, we see his generosity to fellow employees and more than anything else, we see him discover where his journey for a job for life has led him.Very powerful, very moving and very, very rewarding. One of the best films that shows the beauty of the unspoken subtleties of the human condition.10/10.Clark Richards

Olmi delivers a involving study of one young man's initiation into the corporate structure. The lifelike ambiance and natural tone of the picture are remarkable, and the emotions it generates universal. It's hard watching the final images and not hoping for the protagonist's escape from the reality of his situation. A Criterion DVD edition excellently revives this important work from renowned Italian director, Ermanno Olmi. Simply stunning!