Die Weber von Turin

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

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.

I saw this in theatrical release 40 years ago, and have been longing to see it again. It has long been on my top 10, no, my top "1" list. In my opinion it is Mastroianni's best film, and the most memorable labor film I can recall seeing. MAK-4's comment that this is the movie "Matewan", "Molly Maguires" and "Germinal" tried to be, really nailed it. However, although my 40-year-old impressions are indelible, they are no longer detailed. What a tragedy that "Divorce Italian Style" is available on DVD, and "The Organizer" is not available at all.

Today, as one "great" corporation after another collapses under the weight of its own deceit, I Compagni should be seen by everyone. For at least 20 years, we have been told that unions and regulations are obsolete hindrances to the miracle of The Marketplace. Now that even Alan Greenspan, an enormously powerful acolyte of Ayn Rand and her adolescent mirror-philosophy to Marxism, has testified that "I was wrong." As he admitted that he now sees that unregulated capitalism will inevitably fall under the spell of selfish, unfeeling greed, we find ourselves almost back at the beginning of FDR's reforms. The "American Dream" didn't just happen; it wasn't automatically granted by benevolent businessmen. It was fought for, and won despite enormous obstacles. It is true that the final scene of this film is heartbreaking. But it should not be seen as depressing. A battle has been lost. But the war was eventually won. Many of those gains have been recently tossed aside out of historical ignorance and childish acceptance of corporate propaganda. But if the American people will act and vote intelligently, workers and capitalists alike will regain a humane balance.

Mario Monicelli's wonderfully full portrait of an early workers' strike at a Turino textile factory (circa 1890) is not only a great period drama, but a warm, if ultimately tragic human comedy in the great Italian tradition. Great performances all around (Mastroianni, Giradot, and a young River Phoenix look-a-like named Franco Ciolli, whatever became of him?) help make this labor drama the movie MATEWAN, MOLLY MAGUIRES and GERMINAL all tried to be.