The Films of Vittorio De Seta

Spotlight on Vittorio De Seta with 10 short films and 1 feature film:

Islands of Fire (1955, short film)

Easter in Sicily (1955, short film)

Surfarara (1955, short film)

The Age of Swordfish (1955, short film)

Sea Countrymen (1955, short film)

Golden Parable (1955, short film)

A Day in Barbagia (1958, short film)

Orgosolo’s Shepherds (1958, short film)

Fishing Boats (1958, short film)

The Forgotten (1959, short film)

Bandits of Orgosolo (1961, feature film)

Essential films of Italian Cinema are more easily available than works of many other nations. However, this abundance still results in essential works being hidden away from the spotlight. Such is the case of Italian Director Vittorio De Seta whose films were not available until a restoration by Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna and The Film Foundation at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in 2019. The 10 short documentary films are part of a programme called ‘The Lost World’ and available for viewing via criterionchannel.com and also bundled together with Bandits of Orgosolo via Radiance films.

Neorealism

Ehsan Khoshbakht describes Bandits of Orgosolo as a film that “revitalized neorealism” and it is easy to see why. Vittorio De Seta has made a film stripped of any excess and one that doesn’t contain any music at all. The lack of music heightens the bleak scenarios the main character finds himself in. Bandits of Orgosolo features shepherds playing themselves and their acting is minimalist to the point that it does even feel like acting. The entire film feels like a documentary, an aspect that owes to De Seta’s background as a documentary filmmaker. Bandits of Orgosolo looks and feels like a purer version of Italian Neorealism than Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves which has more dramatic elements than De Seta’s film.

This brilliant film has resulted in a change in my Top Italian Films of all time list.

Sicilian Lives

Vittorio De Seta’s 10 documentary shorts depict the everyday lives of Sicilians. The shorts show locals engaged in different professions, such as mining (Surfarara), shepherding (Orgosolo’s Shepherds), fishing (The Age of Swordfish, Sea Countrymen, Fishing Boats), farming (Golden Parable). Majority of the films follow the men who go out to make a living so naturally, De Seta also documents the lives of women who look after the homes while their shepherd husbands are away at work (A Day in Barbagia). In addition, De Seta highlights the religious festivals and rituals associated with Sicily such as Easter in Sicily and The Forgotten. Given that Sicily is associated with volcanoes, De Seta documents that aspect as well. Islands of Fire, which won Best Short Documentary at Cannes 1955, shows how people are impacted by the hypnotic yet dangerous volcanic eruptions.

These 10 documentary shorts are precious in their historical cultural recording of Sicilian lives. It is no wonder that Marin Scorsese commented the following:

“It was as if De Seta were an anthropologist who spoke with the voice of a poet.”

“Here was cinema in its essence – where the filmmaker is not just recording reality but living it.”

As an aside, The “Feast of Silver” celebration in The Forgotten is similar to the one seen in Michelangelo Frammartino’s Le Quattro Volte (2010). 

Additional reading links

Kent Jones in Sight and Sound.

J. Hoberman on The ‘Lost World’ of Vittorio De Seta.

The Films of Elio Petri

Elio Petri’s name doesn’t come up when the top names of Italian cinema are mentioned. Such a roll call often features titles by Fellini, Antonioni, De Sica, Visconti, Rossellini and Ermanno Olmi, directors whose films are often canonized. These other directors may not feature on many lists but a few of their uncompromising political titles are often cited: Pontecorvo, Francesco Rosi, Pasolini, Bellocchio, Bertolucci and Elio Petri. Until recently, I had only seen just two of Petri’s films: Inspection of a Citizen Above Suspicion and The 10th Victim. A closer look at Petri’s films was long overdue so grouping the previously seen Inspection of a Citizen Above Suspicion with 5 other films to form the following mini-spotlight:

I giorni contati / His Days Are Numbered (1962)
A ciascuno il suo / We Still Kill the Old Way (1967)
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)
The Working Class Goes to Heaven / Lulu the Tool (1971)
Property Is No Longer a Theft (1973)
Todo Modo / One Way or Another (1976)

Corruption

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion is the best known of all of Petri’s film due to its Oscar win. It feels highly relevant today given the topic of corruption and abuse of power. Dottore (Gian Maria Volontè) is a corrupt police officer who commits murder. He starts to leave clues pointing towards his crimes yet he evades getting arrested. This is due to the corrupt system of power that exists around and above him in the hierarchy. No matter how brazen he gets, no matter how open his crimes are, he won’t be charged until those in power decide he is no longer of use to them. The topic rings true in our current times as we have a plethora of politicians who lie (take your pick) and are guilty, yet they continue to get away with it.

Mafia

Corruption and power in the police are at the core of Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion but in We Still Kill the Old Way, the focus of these topics is instead on the mafia and how their methods of intimidation, fear and power impact ordinary citizens. We Still Kill the Old Way is a fascinating film that shows a professor (a subtle contemplative Gian Maria Volontè) succumbing to a femme fatale and blindly walking into a trap laid by the mafia. The professor ignores all the signs around him and doesn't fathom the mafia's hold on society.

Socialism vs Capitalism

The Working Class Goes to Heaven (or Lulu the Tool) perfectly highlights differences between Socialism and Capitalism. In the film, as the workers go to the factory, union members/leaders with megaphones shout at them to rise up against the system. The union members highlight that the workers go to work in darkness and emerge in darkness, wasting precious hours of sunlight working at the assembly lines of the factory. The main worker in the film, Lulu (a brilliant Gian Maria Volontè), is known for his fast production rates which others can’t meet. Lulu works and works, ignoring the words of the union outside. However, his views change when he hurts himself on the same machines he worked tirelessly on. Now, he becomes an advocate for worker rights.

The words spoken in this 1971 film ring even more true in our current times when there are reports of people working themselves into the ground on assembly lines of Amazon and other big box stores. The gap between rich and poor has increased in the 5 decades since this film and capitalism is literally burning up the planet. Safe to say, until the planet is destroyed, Petri’s film will always be relevant.

Private property is a core tenant of capitalism and that is the topic of Property is No Longer Theft, a film buzzing with ideas about wealth, property, theft, ownership. Total (Flavio Bucci) targets the Butcher (Ugo Tognazzi) in a cat-mouse game of theft, but Total doesn't steal major items of financial value but instead targets smaller items of sentimental value. To complicate matters, Total has an allergic reaction to money even though he works at a bank. His character’s depiction and actions add another layer of debate around the entire capitalist nature of society. The film is modelled in a similar manner to Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion but lacks the latter’s dramatic power.

Meaning of life

His Days Are Numbered is centered around Cesare (Salvo Randone) who has an existential crisis when he observes a death on his way home. Cesare ponders to think what it means to live and work. He quits his job and wanders around town, seeking answers to meaning of life and happiness. This film covers similar ground as that of Kurosawa’s Ikiru and also forms an extension piece to The Working Class Goes to Heaven. Any of the characters in The Working Class Goes to Heaven could easily find themselves in Cesare’s shoes.

Power Structure of a Society

Up until 1976’s Todo Modo, Elio Petri examined a variety of topics ranging from corruption, crime, political and financials systems, working rights but the films zeroed in on individual characters or a few characters who are cogs in the system. In Todo Modo, Petri casts his net wider and examines the entire power structure of a nation and people who pull the strings from the top political party, church, banks down to individuals carrying out the will of the system. This brilliant examination is based on Leonardo Sciascia’s novel of the same name which in turn was inspired by Italy’s ruling party at the time.

Todo Modo’s premise feels apocalyptic, sci-fi and shows a society where an epidemic is killing people. In order to avoid sickness, prominent members of society gather in an underground bunker to save themselves while working out a plan to restructure society. The film’s open political depiction clearly means this isn’t a film for everyone and also it isn’t surprising that it caused controversy upon its release in Italy. The film builds on themes and topics Petri covered in his career and feels like a cinematic culmination for Petri. The film has notable performances by Gian Maria Volonté and Marcello Mastroianni.

Other Reading

Larry Portis’ detailed examined of Elio Petri’s films is a must-read.
Part 1 and Part 2.

Michael Pattison on Investigation at Mubi.

Paul Costianes on Petri.

Top Italian films of All Time

Top 20 Italian Films

1. The Battle of Algiers (1966, Gillo Pontecorvo)

2. Hands over the City (1963, Francesco Rosi)

3. Bandits of Orgosolo (1961, Vittoria De Seta)

4. Bicycle Thieves (1948, Vittorio De Sica)

5. Il Posto (1961, Ermanno Olmi)

6. L’Eclisse (1962, Michelangelo Antonioni)

7. La Dolce Vita (1960, Federico Fellini)

8. Il Sorpasso (1962, Dino Risi)

9. 8 1/2 (1963, Federico Fellini)

10. La Strada (1954, Federico Fellini)

11. L’Avventura (1960, Michelangelo Antonioni)

12. Fists in the Pocket (1965, Marco Bellocchio)

13. Cinema Paradiso (1988, Giuseppe Tornatore)

14. Rocco and His Brothers (1960, Luchino Visconti)

15. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968, Sergio Leone)

16. Rome, Open City (1945, Roberto Rossellini)

17. I Fidanzati (1963, Ermanno Olmi)

18. Umberto D. (1952, Vittorio De Sica)

19. The Conformist (1970, Bernardo Bertolucci)

20. Salvatore Giuliano (1962, Francesco Rosi)

Note: This list is updated Nov 2024.

Previous entry published on Oct 4, 2021 is below.

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Wonders in the Dark is having a Greatest Italian Films of All time poll. Each participant is expected to only submit a top 20, either in ranked order or alphabetical.

It is quite tough to narrow this list down to only 20 Italian films or to arrange them in order of preference. Other than my top 2, the remaining films can change based on month or year. For now, I will put this down and revisit this list in the future to see how this order changes.

Top 20 Italian Films

1. The Battle of Algiers (1966, Gillo Pontecorvo)

2. Hands over the City (1963, Francesco Rosi)

3. Bicycle Thieves (1948, Vittorio De Sica)

4. Il Posto (1961, Ermanno Olmi)

5. L’Eclisse (1962, Michelangelo Antonioni)

6. La Dolce Vita (1960, Federico Fellini)

7. Il Sorpasso (1962, Dino Risi)

8. 8 1/2 (1963, Federico Fellini)

9. La Strada (1954, Federico Fellini)

10. L’Avventura (1960, Michelangelo Antonioni)

11. Fists in the Pocket (1965, Marco Bellocchio)

12. Cinema Paradiso (1988, Giuseppe Tornatore)

13. Rocco and His Brothers (1960, Luchino Visconti)

14. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968, Sergio Leone)

15. Rome, Open City (1945, Roberto Rossellini)

16. I Fidanzati (1963, Ermanno Olmi)

17. Umberto D. (1952, Vittorio De Sica)

18. The Conformist (1970, Bernardo Bertolucci)

19. Salvatore Giuliano (1962, Francesco Rosi)

20. Mid-August Lunch (2008, Gianni Di Gregorio)

Il Posto

 Il Posto (1961, Italy, Ermanno Olmi)

The great Italian director Ermanno Olmi, who sadly passed away in 2018, is more famously associated with his 1978 Palme d’Or winning The Tree of Wooden Clogs. However, it is his 1961 Il Posto (which won the Italian critics’ award at Venice Film Festival) that is a personal favourite. The film won my 2014 Movie World Cup beating out Robert Bresson’s L’Argent 5-3. I recently revisited the film to see how it holds up.

Il Posto brilliantly depicts the journey of young Domenico (Sandro Panseri) entering the workforce with precise detail starting with the stress associated with writing an exam to nervous anticipation of a job interview to the fate that awaits when one gets the job; the dreaded office desk where a person can spend decades sitting in one spot. 

A promotion means a person moves up just one spot to a desk nearer to the front.

As Il Posto shows, this front desk has more light while the desk at the back of the room is partially dark. Using such a simple technique of depicting rows of desks lit differently, Olmi is able to highlight the hierarchy and seniority that exists in offices. Of course, a variation in other companies is that a promotion signifies moving to a better cubicle or an office with a window. 

Olmi also manages to incorporate plenty of tiny details that highlight workplace rituals and customs while portraying differences in big city life vs a smaller town. Domenico lives in Meda, a small town, on the outskirts of Milan. Time has no meaning in Meda while the pace of life slower with horse-carts still visible. However, the pace of life in Milan is faster and life is dictated by the clock. Domenico quickly learns this as he has to wake up early to catch the train to get to his job interview in Milan.

In the office, the clock dictates everything. If one is late to office, then a late slip has to be signed by the big boss.

As soon as the clock indicates lunch time, everyone rushes out to grab a bite to eat before they have to return back.

And then there is the waiting for the clock to indicate the end of the work day.

Il Posto also lovingly incorporates elements of romance and the excitement, hesitation, jealously, waiting and expectation that comes with meeting someone. Olmi’s beautiful film was made back in 1961 but it will always be contemporary as long humans have to find a job or have to seek out a companion.

I absolutely loved watching this film again and appreciated many of the details I missed seven years ago. Of course, all these details were always in the film. This line from Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory applies to my heightened appreciation:

“The film is the same….It’s your eyes that have changed.”

Allan Fish Online Film Festival

Hands Over the City (1963, Italy, directed by Francesco Rosi)

Francesco Rosi’s 1963 film Hands Over the City (Le Mani sulla città) feels contemporary despite being released almost 6 decades ago. Given the film’s topic of corruption and urban sprawl, it will always feel contemporary as long as politicians spend more time slinging mud at their rivals and lying to protect their crimes while letting innocent civilians suffer. The words “urban sprawl” are part of our everyday language yet it was Rosi’s film that gave an incisive look into how such a situation could occur. The city in Rosi’s film is his beloved Naples but as the film dives into the close connection between city planners, politicians, land developers and businessmen, it becomes evident that there is a universal aspect to the film.

The opening shots of Hands Over the City begin with a few aerial shots of Naples which highlight the city as a maze of buildings. After the opening minutes, we learn that it will get worse. That is because we are shown an informal meeting between a few businessmen who all want to profit from fast land development. The city council is about to propose expanding along the city's core, which makes sense from an urban development point of view. But these businessmen and land developers want to build outside the city because the land is cheap and they can earn more profits in the future. The businessmen can get away with this because one of the leading land developers is also on the city's board and he has a lot of friends on the council. The promise of fast money is enough to swing the votes in his direction.

There is a lot of money to go around when the city expands outside the core because there is more investment needed to provide necessary infrastructure such as water, electricity, parks, etc. The film shows that all the businessmen involved in such organizations have friends on the city council. Handshakes and promises are the two things that decide the city’s future. Land permits and architectural plans are passed in a matter of days as opposed to the normal waiting time of 6 months. One of the consequences of this quick development results in an apartment wall crashing down resulting in a few deaths.

An investigation is conducted to uncover the real reasons for this building's collapse. However, there is a lack of interest in the city council to determine why the building wall collapsed. Only one councilman accuses his fellow colleagues of having "dirty hands" regarding the land dealings. This results in one of the film's lasting images where all the councilmen shout "our hands are clean" and wave their 'clean' hands at the honest councilman.

As the investigation continues, it is apparent that the truth won't ever come out because behind each lie is a handshake and a promise. Watching this film, one can truly appreciate the complicated series of lies and promises that exists in each political party. Politicians today spend a lot of time lying to the media in order to prove their innocence even though there is plenty of evidence which implicates them. Their lies are akin to the “our hands are clean” image.

The film gives a fly-on-the-wall perspective to the audience and at times it feels like we are being led into a secret world about how politics really works. As per the production notes, Rosi got some of the city councilmen to play themselves in the movie. That adds a bit more to the realism of the heated council scenes. The core discussions and fighting between different sides can be extrapolated to our world and can explain why different political parties can never find a common ground and why some issues never get resolved.

Francesco Rosi returned to Naples in 1992 to film a documentary (Diario napoletano) to see how the city had developed compared to 1963’s Hands Over the City. The first part of the documentary takes place in a university class where Rosi is presenting the movie to students, some city planners, professors and architects. As it turns out, in some cases, things unfolded in Naples as per the movie's fictional situations and the sprawl got worse over the decades after the film was made. Some of the professors in the documentary offered solutions to improve things but it became clear that there is no over-night solution. When a city grows outward traffic congestion is one of the worst problems. Driving through the city, Rosi was able to truly get a feel for how bad the situation is. Unfortunately, Naples is not alone in this problem. The issue of urban sprawl is a problem impacting major cities across most continents. In this regard, Hands Over the City is still an essential and relevant film for our society. The dynamics of how each city chooses to expand may vary from the situation in the film but it is clear that plenty of the decisions made for new land development are driven by money. We can only guess at some of the real discussions that take place in a city but Rosi's film depicts some situations for us to ponder upon.

Cross-published as part of 3rd Allan Fish Online Film Festival.