La classe operaia va in paradiso, 1971
(source: Comingsoon.it - film, recensioni, trailer, trovacinema, news dal mondo dell'intrattenimento)
no copyright infringement intended
Humans and chimps: the difference is crystal-clear. Or is it not? Is it possible to imagine a way of educating a chimpanzee to get from him human behavior? One of the personages from La classe operaia va in paradiso mentions an article about the topic, from a magazine of popular science. It is true that the personage is an inmate of a mental health institution. But, on the other hand (at least as the movie seems to suggest), one reaches full wisdom only when put in such an asylum: far from our daily agitation, it is time to contemplate the great questions raised by humankind. By the way, one of Kafka's stories (Ein Bericht für eine Akademie) tackles just this subject: the transformation of a monkey into a human.
La classe operaia va in paradiso takes the universe of Kafka's story and turns it upside down: it is about the transformation of humans into chimpanzees, as the ultimate paradigm of Capitalist society. Behind all blah-blahs this is the only truth: higher and higher productivity demands chimp-like humans. Consequently the whole business process is organized to achieve this goal. Creativity and initiative are strongly discouraged as being just too human, so against productivity logic - that requires tasks as repetitive and simply stupid as possible. The production line is the answer.
To make this succeed you need to enforce in these humans-chimps the illusion of happiness: small apartments in new projects, color tv, second hand cars, and huge megaphones on their route to the production line, repeating ad nauseam that this is the real happiness. Plus, as they still have their unions, you need to develop a give and take strategy with the union bosses.
Now, speaking about these unions and their bosses, there are two categories: on one side the mainstream, following a pragmatic approach, and becoming this way part of the system; on the other side the radicals, dreaming big, inflaming people and getting the things worse. Here the movie we are talking about (directed by Elio Petri, starring Gian Maria Volontè) takes clearly its sides: the pragmatic, day-to-day, approach (as prone to unacceptable compromises and unavoidable corruption as it is) appears to be the only responsible way.
(Italian Movies)
posted by Pierre Radulescu at
10:47 AM
2 Comments:
Daca am inteles bine, ti se pare ca regizorul si personajul principal pledeaza pt. abanonarea oricarei lupte impotriva sistemului? Totusi, in pofida infrangerii finale si alinierii pe banda de montaj a fabrici (aici se sfarseste filmul lui E. Petri si de aici incepe "Timpuri noi" al lui Chaplin), tovarasii de munca si lupta nu se izoleaza unul de altul, ci tot continua sa comunice intre ei, nerenuntand la solidaritatea pe care au cladit-o si care, poate, ii va impinge la o noua revolta.
By
Alexandru A. Popovici, at 10:25 AM
Cred ca filmul se refera de fapt la rivaIitatea intre partidul comunist "mainstream" si grupurile radicale, luind partea partidului 'mainstream". Rdicalii apar ca niste studenti aiuriti foarte barbaosi si care nu fac decat sa agite spiritele, visand la revolutie. Ironia este ca Gian Maria Volonte, pe vremea aceea membru al Partidului Comunist Italian, va iesi din partid peste cativa ani, nemultumit ca nu era destul de radical. Imi amintesc insa de o scena nostima, cand am vazut filmul (prin anii 70 sau 80). La iesire, doi tineri, unul a declarant apasat, evident la misto, "vreau sa devin membru de partid, vreau sa critic si sa fiu criticat". Cel de-al doilea a raplicat, "taci dracului din gura"
By
Pierre Radulescu, at 12:31 PM
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