Il Posto

Movie Information

In Brief: Documentarian Ermanno Olmi's second feature film, Il Posto, finds the director in an unsurprising neo-realist mode — with some notable embellishments -- with this slice of life drama about a young man (Sandro Paserni) taking on a job that he expects to have for life with a big company. The observations on company life are sharp without being easy generalizations. Olmi's very appealing nonprofessional cast convey much even while saying little. Shy of greatness, but something of an overlooked little gem.
Score:

Genre: Drama
Director: Ermanno Olmi
Starring: Loredana Detto, Sandro Panseri, Mara Revel, Guido Spadea, Tullio Kezich
Rated: NR

By the time Ermanno Olmi made Il Posto in 1961, the Italian neo-realist movement (born more of circumstance than a desire to change film) was pretty much a thing of the past. His choice of making a film more or less in that style, however, seems more grounded in his work as a documentarian than an adherence to the neo-realists. And his rather charming little movie sometimes feels like it owes as much to the burgeoning French New Wave than anyhing else. The story is simple. It charts the course of a young man, Domenico Cantoni (Sandro Panseri), leaving his rural home to go to the city (Milan) and secure a position (presumably for life) with a large company. That’s it. The film simply recounts that experience — and explores just what it might mean to become swallowed up by this kind of corporate “family.” In many ways, it’s a downbeat story. Most of the scenes paint a dreary picture of settling into this kind of life. The ending is particularly disconcerting, but there are so many flashes of humanity that it stops short of being a total downer — even the grim New Year’s Eve party that climaxes the film is not devoid of a sense of something human beneath the inhuman surface.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Il Posto Friday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library).  Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

SHARE
About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

4 thoughts on “Il Posto

  1. Jeremy Dylan

    Ken, one of the great things about your reviews is that I can almost always tell if I’d enjoy the film in question from your description of it.

    I got two-thirds through this review and realised I have no desire to ever watch this.

    Thanks again for saving me from spending money and time fruitlessly.

  2. Jeremy Dylan

    I am struggling with the idea of whether that was a compliment.

    It certainly is.

    I’ve been reading and enjoying Ebert’s reviews for years, but I often get to the end of one of them and I have no idea whether I’d enjoy the film in question or not.

  3. Jeremy Dylan

    I am struggling with the idea of whether that was a compliment.

    It certainly is.

    I’ve been reading and enjoying Ebert’s reviews for years, but I often get to the end of one of them and I have no idea whether I’d enjoy the film in question or not.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.