Ermanno Olmi

 Ermanno Olmi




Il Posto (1961)

The Fiances (1963)



RANKED:


2. The Fiances (1963)


Ermanno Olmi's "The Fiances" is far more akin to the works of Antonioni than it is to Fellini or De Sica. The film asks the question: "Can a relationship survive the malaise of modernity?" After man takes a promising position in Sicily, his days and nights are aimless and hollow while his fiancé awaits his return in Milan. Our protagonist's life is not only distant from his love, but has been rendered meaningless and empty by the industrialization of the Italian economy. With his 1963 film, Olmi notions that our modern world is destroying human relationships.

 


1. Il Posto (1961)


Perhaps a tonally strange film, Ermanno Olmi's "Il Posto" presents its awkwardness through its alienated protagonist. Domenico, a teenager, drops out of school to begin working an entry-level job at a major corporation in the city to support his family. All the while, he quietly chases the affections of a young girl in a similar situation. The film plods along with a atmosphere of uncertainty. The surrounding corporate atmosphere brings about a coldness amongst its participants, implementing a feeling of alienation in our already-awkward and lonely teenage protagonist. The film is a coming-of-age story with a "stranger in a strange land" conceit. It forces our young lad to grow up fast. However, "growing up" in this case is simply integration into a dehumanizing and faceless new society. 





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