The Tree of Wooden Clogs. Brilliant.
I’ve seen the three films mentioned above, and I loved them. His ability to use non-professional actors in their native environments is amazing. The effects appear to have be achieved by actors working at the highest level.
I wish I Fidanzanti was available on dvd. Criterion should look into making this a priority.
Il Posto is one of my favorite films of all time. If anyone belongs in the “Auteurs who are ignored” room, it’s Olmi.
And Justin, Criterion has released I Fidanzanti.
Really? Wow. Thanks, Brandon!
i find his generosity toward his characters to be deeply moving. he never passes judgment especially in the often convoluted and deluded world of young love. his tremendous sympathy for the hero of il posto is a revelation as well as his treatment of the young man in a similar situation in la cotta(the short that accompanies il posto) never condescending, he treats even the most minor heartbreaks as a reason for his characters to redefine their universe. a master class in humanism in every sense.
the opening scene of i fidinzati is brilliant as we see the dance hall being prepared for the evenings events in true neo-realist fashion only to give way to olmi’s genius understanding that melodrama also played an important part in de sica’s vision of neo-realism. olmi, as well, opts for both, one of the few filmmakers with enough talent to have his cake and eat it too.
he completely fits the old truffaut criteria that a good film must have both a take on the world and a take on the art of the cinema. the world is blessed with ermanno olmi and hopefully one day the world as a whole will stand up and take notice of this sensitive, caring genius. i love him to pieces.
Bravo! Taylor Austin, Bravo!
His skill at composing shots was second to none, and he imparted a New Wave style to Italian cinema that wasn’t there before he came along. His work in Tickets (2005) along with co-directors Ken Loach and Abbas Kiarostami is impressive, even if that B&W genius of his earlier work is no longer there, his understanding of characters has deepened with age.
I recently saw “I Fidanzati” again. Wonderful. This time I noticed Olmi’s selection of shots and how they are edited together. They flow so naturally. He never indulges in “look at me” edits, but the film still has an identifiable style. It’s a calm style that stays in the background and serves the story, environment, and actions of the characters. This particular film intercuts actions of the present with those of the past at several key points. The film doesn’t announce that this is happening ahead of time; the flashbacks are not labeled or framed in any way. We may be briefly confused, but we can read these quick shifts as we would memories in our own minds. The effect is intimate, rather than stylishly avant-garde. The director of photography was Lamberto Caimi and the editor was Carla Colombo. I got the impression from the special features on this disc that the self-taught Olmi worked very closely with both. They made a very satisfying film.
On the Criterion edition of Il Posto there’s a great Olmi short film called…La Cotta? I think? The Crush? Anyway, it’s great. I saw at around 3 in the morning and it stuck with me for days.
Il Posto and I Fidanzati are two of my favourites. I love to recommend them to different folk.
I agree, Tyler, horrifically neglected and underrated. I once sent an email to the now defunct Masters Of Cinema Web site, which had a list of great directors, because their list didn’t include Olmi, and I got a reply agreeing with me and saying they hadn’t found anyone to write the entry. Il Posto and I Fidanzati are deeply moving and wonderful films.
Tyler Austin
Is horriffically underrated. Il Posto and I Fidanzati are two of the most beautiful, true films I’ve ever seen. And no one ever speaks of him. A crime.