The Organizer

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The Organizer

1963,

2h 6m,

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

90%

10 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

250+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Professor Sinigaglia is the title character in this darkly comedic Italian drama about mistreated factory workers in the city of Turin. Toiling away in appalling conditions in a textile mill, these employees have no one to stand up for them until Sinigaglia puts his academic career on the line by helping them to start a strike. Although the teacher comes under scrutiny by unsympathetic authorities, he maintains his dedication to the workers' cause.

Michael Sragow

The New Yorker

Nov 24, 2014

A nearly forgotten near-great movie, with one of Marcello Mastroianni's classic tragicomic performances.

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Jun 20, 2005

Maybe you wouldn't expect a two hour Italian film about a strike in a Turin textile factory at the end of the 19th century to be especially entertaining. But wait until you see The Organizer.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Jan 1, 2000

Arguably one of the great Italian films of the 60s, it cries out for rediscovery.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Apr 29, 2025

... lively, funny, chaotic, and appreciative of the foibles and failures of the frustrated collective that hasn’t any faith in their power to extract the smallest of concessions from an employer that... keeps them all in poverty.

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Judith Crist

New York Herald Tribune

Aug 15, 2022

The bane of American moviemaking has been its perpetual big-think in larger-than-life terms. Certainly The Organizer sets a brilliant standard for big-think in human terms. Our hope would be that it set an example as well.

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Joan Didion

Vogue

Mar 16, 2020

That someone should have thought to cast Marcello Mastroianni as a seedy, itinerant, and slightly visionary nineteenth century labor organizer -- in The Organizer -- marks the triumph of a certain misapprehension.

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Rey G

Sep 16, 2018

A comical advocacy for workers' rights. Well made and acted.

Harry R

Sep 29, 2017

This movie was surprisingly funny. It reminds me in many ways of Fellini and I can definitely say that this director was inspired by Fellini. The cinematography is something to really look at and the location's and set pieces make you feel your really there. There's this genuine character and charm that fills the screen when your watching these characters go about. Each character has there own interesting quirks about them. The ending took an unexpected turn and what seemed like a lighthearted movie all along, ended on a pretty dark note. Nonetheless, it had a pretty endearing and powerful message. Wonderful, extremely under rated, and thoughtful. This movie surprised me in every way.

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Mario Monicelli

Director

Marcello Mastroianni

Professor Sinigaglia

Renato Salvatori

Raoul

Gabriella Giorgelli

Adele

Folco Lulli

Pautasso

Bernard Blier

Martinetti

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Synopsis

Professor Sinigaglia is the title character in this darkly comedic Italian drama about mistreated factory workers in the city of Turin. Toiling away in appalling conditions in a textile mill, these employees have no one to stand up for them until Sinigaglia puts his academic career on the line by helping them to start a strike. Although the teacher comes under scrutiny by unsympathetic authorities, he maintains his dedication to the workers' cause.

Director: Mario Monicelli
Producer: Franco Cristaldi
Screenwriter: Agenore Incrocci, Mario Monicelli, Furio Scarpelli
Distributor: Continental Distributing Inc.
Production Co: Avala Film, Vides Cinematografica, Lux Film S.p.a.
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 25, 1963, Original
Release Date (DVD): Apr 24, 2012
Runtime: 2h 6m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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