In under 30 minutes, a childlike sense of fascination and immersion is achieved [the likes of which I've only rarely experienced], and it never lets go, not even after it ends. There's nothing overly impressive to comment on, it just all comes together so remarkably well. Delicately handling multiple characters and sentiments with ease.

A unique and sublime piece of cinema, The Tree of Wooden Clogs is a 3-hour-long slice of the life of Italian peasantry before the industrial revolution. Lacking a unified plot, the film consists instead of various sequences forming a complex, atmospheric and naturalistic portrait of a simple farming community. Olmi directs a great cast with his typical hyper-realism, and the photography is gorgeous.

# 243

There's no plot to speak of, just a series of minor anecdotes. It captures the sense of time and place, depicting their struggles without asking the audience for pity, and without portraying the characters as noble salt-of-the-earth types wronged by a cruel class system (except at the end, but by that point it's been earned). It's all very matter-of-fact. The cast is quite good, and the photography, although not spectacular, has a pastoral grace to it. But it does require some patience.

246

A sensitive tribute to the everyday chores of four poor families on a tired, old farm at the end of the 19th century. Never sentimental but constantly warm hearted, forbearing and humane. A film shaped with colossal diligence and a big fucking heart.

262

As much as I appreciate the impressionistic view of farm life 1898 AD, these three hours amount to deflated reportage.

#268

Beautiful details and human observation are to be found in this pensively paced drama about italian peasants that harks to the very primal idea of film as a document of how our lives are lived.

Be warned this is slow, really really slow. Still, if you're up for it, it can be an extremely rewarding experience. Olmi captures the monotony and small triumphs of peasant life and the prevalence of religion extremely well and the film has its share of happy and sad moments, all played to perfection by a wonderful cast.

Ah dang - just read another review in here that said just what I wantedto say about this film. So yeah, "the monotony and small triumphs of peasant life". A stunning film.

The digressive and unfocused narrative structure of the film (combined with its length) makes it feel slow and dull at points, but it does have some fascinating moments (the titular clog scene and the aftermath), and the "slice of life" approach leads to some surprisingly tense moments - the married couple's first trip together felt strange and unpredictable, so I could share their anxieties leaving the home I'd spent over two hours watching.