Il Posto (1961)

If you’ve ever worked in a mundane, repetitive, environment then this will probably resonate quite effectively - especially if there were a collection of interviews, mental and physical acuity tests and some examinations requiring passing before you even got through the front door (and to the awaiting, grumpy, commissionaire!). Well “Domenico” (Sandro Panseri) concludes that his suburban life will amount to nothing unless he gets one of their “jobs for life” and so heads to the city where he meets the similarly focused “Antonietta” (Loredana Detto). They do like each other, but are placed in different departments, work on different shifts, and despite his determination - even in the torrential rain - to meet her again, what chance they will ever be able to find time to be alone and maybe build some sort of relationship? This is not the most quickly paced of dramas, nor is there a great deal of witty or potent dialogue, but there is something quite powerful about the observational and acoustic nature of the filming. So much of this is like a fly on the wall documentary, with the repetitious sounds of phones ringing, typewriters dinging and the canteen gossiping day in, day out. It is quite claustrophobic in it’s style, too - even down to the relentless showers, the raincoat-clad Panseri and even a new year party that shows just how alone this young man is. His performance is measured and really quite evocative at times as his role in the corporate hierarchy is epitomised towards the end in a scenario that is both funny and quite pathetic. Is this his future? Maybe the grass wasn’t so much greener after all?