• Release year: 1961
• Director: Ermanno Olmi.
• Producer: Alberto Soffientini.
• Screenplay by: Ettore Lombardo and Ermanno Olmi.
• Cinematography by: Lamberto Caimi.
• Music by: Pier Emilio Bassi.

Shotgun Commentary: surprisingly engrossing for a film where barely anything happens.

Review

Il Posto is protagonised by a teen who goes to Milan for his first job interview. He meets a girl during the job interview and both of them get a position at the company. From then on, you follow his process of adaptation to his new professional life.

Such is life

This feature has the special ability to make the ordinary look extraordinary. When one hears about a film where a kid who gets a corporate job and nothing much happens, one expects to be bored out of one’s mind. Weirdly enough, the film is shot in a manner you can’t help but feel attracted to. Despite the commonality of the events, you get invested in the teen’s narrative. You root for him when he gets a crush, and suffer with him when he feels sad.

There are no major dramas, no horrible tragedies or wonderful miracles. Yet, is that not exactly what life feels like? Just because you don’t fight dragons or chuck cursed rings into volcanoes doesn’t mean your life has nothing to be invested about.

It is this averageness that creates an almost instant relatability. A connection between audience and characters that almost feels like looking into a mirror. A mirror that might take you to a different version of yourself. Maybe a younger version, maybe your current one. After all, few are the lucky ones who don’t need to look for a job to survive.

The universality of a crush

The “love story” featured in the film is one of the most accurate experiences ever represented in cinema. The protagonist, Domenico Cantoni (Sandro Panseri), meets Antonietta Masetti (Loredana Detto) during the hiring process of a corporation. They are both applying for a job and eventually get hired.

From that moment on, Domenico tries to meet with Antonietta as best as he can. More often than not failing to catch her since their routines are so different. Still, he plays it cool, like he didn’t even try to meet her. This type of love that doesn’t quite get resolved but can’t really be categorised as unrequited either is very common in real life. Not so much in cinema, though, so it is quite refreshing to see that sort of relationship represented.

Boy vs machine

Naturally, Domenico’s personal life is only but a part of the narrative. With this movie being about a boy getting a job and all, the commentary on new technologies and the faceless machinery of capitalism is almost unavoidable. Soulless workers with the same wardrobe, almost like a uniform, walk around like hoards of zombies, void of identity and almost of their will to live.

However, upon a closer look, one can see that each of them has their own peculiarities, quirky behaviours that look so strange yet feel so familiar. This showcases how, regardless of how impersonal the corporate system is, each individual is unique, and no matter how many grey clothes and windowless rooms they have to endure, their singularity will remain.

Needless to say, the cast is of great help to tell this story. Panseri looks like an ancestor of Timothée Chalamet, same doe eyes and drowsy expression. These features make him the perfect choice to play a town boy who is just learning how the world works.

As for the secondary characters, they are all ordinary enough to be completely believable even before they open their mouths. Domenico’s parents, co-workers, and love interest, are perfect examples of Italian society, warm, welcoming, slightly overbearing when it comes to mothers, and very cheeky.

All in all, Il Posto could not be better at making average, special. The crew both behind and in front of the cameras create the perfect portrayal of daily life while also commenting on certain social and socio-economic aspects of life and giving you just enough drama to spice up the final product.

Radiance Films released this Monday a 4K restoration of Il Posto in Blu-ray along with a 4K restoration of Olmi’s I Fidanzati. Further details of the release below:

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

• 4K restoration of both films from the original camera negatives by Cineteca di Bologna in collaboration with Titanus, presented on two discs
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio for both films
• Appreciation by filmmaker Maurizio Zaccaro (2024, 19 mins)
• Interview with cinematographer Lamberto Caimi on both films (2024, 17 and 11 mins)
• Interview with author Richard Dyer on both films (2024, 39, 23 mins)
• Interview with programmer Ehsan Khoshbakht on Ermanno Olmi (2024, 16 mins)
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista
• Limited edition booklet with new writing by critic Christina Newland
• Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Find the Radiance release right here!

Advice to take from this movie:

• Unless you have a specific dream, a job is a job, don’t think about it too much.
• Having a crush makes people act silly, nothing to be embarrassed about.
• If getting a specific desk in an office has turned into your main goal in life, you might want to get a hobby.

What’s your take? Have you watched Il Posto? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀