The Organizer
The Organizer
| 25 October 1963 (USA)
The Organizer Trailers

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 is sent by (presumably) the Socialists to help them organize their strike and give form to their struggle

Reviews
Diagonaldi Very well executed
Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever
Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
KasparM The difference between this film and a lot of other strike/union related films, is that it has a sense of humor and is not taken with its own self importance. As a matter a fact, the film is quite measured and cautious in its outlook. There are no heroics here, everybody is a full fledged human being with his/her weaknesses and strengths. Mastroianni is particularly wonderful here in a very nuanced performance, where he goes from nebbish professor to inspirational and powerful leader in matters of seconds. The script is very strong and Rotunno's cinematography is excellent. Monicelli injects the film with so many details that hit their mark, that he has gone from a very good director to a great one in my estimation. The early scenes at the factory are truly remarkable in a uniquely cinematic way. They hardly contain any dialogue and put you in the workers place in a remarkably efficient way.Highly recommended.
hendersonhall 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.
John Timothy This is one of those great foreign films from the 60's. The plot synopsis may make it sound dismal, but on the contrary it is full of heart and humor. These are real people, with all their quirks and stupidities and rich relationships with one another. There is an accurate, full portrayal of the human condition, and an acceptance of what that means, that is rare to non-existent in movies today.If you like films that put you into another world for a couple of hours, you've got to see this. The late 19th century Northern Italy textile factory is amazingly realized. The black & white cinematography is gorgeous, and the acting is convincing all around.Mastroianni is a personal favorite, and this is a terrific role for him: very unlike his usual suave, modern, urban characters.This film is a masterpiece. It's a shame it is not out on DVD.
raymond-15 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.