The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978) -- E. Olmi

There's a spirit of community here in the simple lives of Olmi's turn-of-the-previous-century peasants that seems totally lost today (and perhaps was already lost when the film was made in 1978).  However, the hard work and hardships endured then surely required a collective orientation and some compassion (which might also be welcome today). Watching this film, you will experience a year in the lives of a few families, centered on the rhythms and routines of the earth, no real plot, just rich and detailed anecdotes, lovingly recreated. The Tree of Wooden Clogs is nearly a documentary, with no flashy camerawork and only non-professional actors who are so submerged into the context that they don't even get names (at least none that were subtitled).