The Tree Of Wooden Clogs

Approaching verite in style, and heavily influenced by American documentarist Robert Flaherty's ethnological classics, this naturalistic portrayal of Italian peasants neither glorifies their lives nor looks down on them. Olmi, who directed, scripted, photographed, and edited the film, concentrates on three peasant families (all finely acted by nonprofessionals) and their daily existence for the period of about one year. They live on an estate governed by a practically nonexistent landlord and work his land with the greatest of care and devotion. Interestingly, however, the least important facet of THE TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS is its plot. Instead, the focus is o...