VeteranexperimentalfilmmakersDanielleHuilletandJean-MarieStraubhelmedthisunusualadaptationofanovelbyElioVittorini.FocusedonthetriumphsandfailuresofagroupoflaborersandfarmhandswhopooledtheirresourcestooperateanalternativecollectivefarmaftertheendofWorldWarII,Operai,Contadinifeaturesacastof12actorswhoreadaloudfromVittorini'sbookforthedurationofthefilm,eitherrecitingfrommemoryorusingaclearlyvisiblescript.Hardlydesignedtobeacrowdpleaser,Operai,Contadiniprovedtobecontroversialamongtheaudiencesforitsshowingsatthe2001CannesFilmFestival,whereitwasscreenedaspartoftheDirectors'Fortnightseries.~MarkDeming,AllMovieGuide Thegroupmakesupaprimitivecommunitywhichseekstoerasenotonlythedistresscreatedbythewarbutalsothehardshipsoflifeandhunger,andtoprotectthemfromviolence,miseryandfear.Amidtheruinsofthispost-warperiod,thecharactersbuildandinventarapport bothintheirprofessionalanddailylives betweenthemselves,thesexes,generations,diversesocialandgeographicalorigins,andantagonisticpoliticalcamps. Thegroupmaintainsa'register',akindofdiary,asifitwereenteringtheminutesofaninquiryoratrial.-SteveGrayson myfavoriteStraub-HuilletfilmsareTooEarly,TooLateandOperai,contadini(2001),bothcolorlandscapefilmswithespeciallyacutesensesofplaceaswellasofnatureinallitsharshbeauty.-JonathanRosenbaum
