Il Posto

1961 1h 38m IT

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 191

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

With his family mired in financial troubles, Domenico moves to Milan, Italy, from his small town to get a job in lieu of furthering his education. A lack of options forces him to take a position as a messenger at a big company, where he hopes to receive a promotion soon. There, Domenico meets Antonietta, a young woman in a similar situation as himself. The two form a tentative relationship, but the soulless nature of their jobs threatens to keep them apart.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Loredana Detto
Antonietta Masetti
Sandro Panseri
Domenico Cantoni
Corrado Aprile
Bit Part (uncredited)
Guido Chiti
Bit Part (uncredited)
Tullio Kezich
Psychologist (uncredited)
Bice Melegari
Bit Part (uncredited)
Mara Revel
Domenico's Senior Fellow Colleague (uncredited)
Guido Spadea
Portioli (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ermanno Olmi
Writers: Ermanno Olmi, Ettore Lombardo
Languages: Italian
Countries: Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

65 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ermanno Olmi, shot by Lamberto Caimi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Pier Emilio Bassi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Carla Colombo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Loredana Detto and Sandro Panseri and Corrado Aprile carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0055320 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ermanno Olmi directs. Lamberto Caimi behind the camera. Pier Emilio Bassi scores. Carla Colombo cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

165 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Ermanno Olmi, shot by Lamberto Caimi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Pier Emilio Bassi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Carla Colombo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Loredana Detto and Sandro Panseri and Corrado Aprile carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0055320 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Released under 15 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Lamberto Caimi
Original score: Pier Emilio Bassi
Editing: Carla Colombo
Production design: Ettore Lombardi
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Status: Released
Original language: IT
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Il Posto (1961)

Also by

Ermanno Olmi

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-08-18
★ 7/10
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?

Production companies