Earnest, as 1 commentator said? Yes. Depressing, as the same commentator said? No, no, no. It's realistic, showing what was and too often is, not upbeat with false hopes for the future, except that the perseverance of the title character is upbeat. The Organizer is one of the best, perhaps the best, movie about union organizing that I can recall. As is often the case, Mastroianni's acting is different from any other role he has played. The same is true of Salvatori and Girardot. The movie itself is far superior to director Monicelli's Big Deal on Madonna Street, which doesn't really hold up today. I saw The Organizer when it first came out in the US and later on VHS. A DVD is long overdue.
Plot summary
The story of exploited textile factory workers in Turin, Italy at the turn of the century and their beginnings of their fight for better working conditions. Professor Sinigaglia (Marcello Mastroianni) is sent by (presumably) the Socialists to help them organize their strike and give form to their struggle.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Marcello Mastroianni as Professor Sinigaglia
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 1.16 GB
1280*682
Italian 2.0
NR
Movie Reviews
Reviewed by
One of the greatest films about the labor movement
Reviewed by
Gut Punch of an Ending
There have been many movies about union organization over the years, and "The Organizer" is one of the best I've seen.
Marcello Mastroianni plays a teacher with a mysterious past who shows up in an Italian village and encourages the working folk to organize. As always in stories like this, there are those who are suspicious and those who are on his side. The film is spare and naturalistic in setting and tone, and it packs one gut punch of an ending.
"The Organizer" brought writers Age, Scarpelli, and Mario Monicelli (who also directed) an Oscar nomination for Best Original Story and Screenplay at the 1964 Academy Awards.
Grade: A
Reviewed by
A convincing portrayal of workers' struggle for better conditions
The struggle of the working class for shorter hours and better conditions in a Torino textile factory is well portrayed in this somewhat depressing film.....depressing because in many parts of the world the confrontation between management and workers has still not been resolved. The introduction of scab labour to replace striking workers brings the film to a dramatic climax.
It's a splendid cast with believable characters giving us both sides of the eternal argument. Is a 14 hour day with half hour lunch break asking too much of workers?
This is a film of great atmosphere created by the factory sets and the continual thrashing noise of the looms. When the factory whistle blows at 8 PM you share the joy and relief of the workers after a hard day. This is a documentary type drama to be seen, to be believed and to be remembered for we know that these workers and others like them put their jobs on the line for conditions that we now enjoy to-day.