Il tempo si è fermato

In the days that Olmì' film was made, Italian movies invariably dealt with feelings of loneliness and isolation. Il tempo si e fermato was a successful attempt to change this climate. Olmi makes exactly the bond between individuals to the theme of his film. Il tempo si e fermato was planned to be a documentary about a dam, high up in the mountains of North Italy. The story is simple, but the theme of the film is universal, so it can be regarded as a metaphor of human relationships. An older inspector of the dam has lived alone in the mountains for quite a while, when a boy comes to assist him as an alternative for his holidays. The film shows the daily routine of the two men. The boy is rather clumsy and stands a bit in the old man's way. They exchange but a few words now and then. They perform their tasks every day in the same way. The initial reluctance on the inspector's behalf is gradually replaced by deep affection towards the boy. Finally, he teaches him how to survive the loneliness. Isolation or, later, victory over it is present in every aspect of the film. This is expressed in the desolate landscape, but especially in the technique that Olmi utilizes. In the begining, Olmi's camera use isolates the two men. The viewer is hardly able to discern their faces. The silence between them is emphasized by the creaking doors and floors, the ticking of the clock, and the whistling of the wind around the house. Later on, the camera registers the objects in the house in detail. The silent men's objects all seem to be given a personal value: the soup bowls, the shelf the boy tries to put up for his books, the wine bottle, the tools, and the large winter sweaters. The spectator gets to know them as if they are his own. This elaboration by Olmi reveals small pieces of the two men's personalities: their background, their habits and feelings are made clear to the viewer little by little. Il tempo si e fermato is a film that seems to be improvised, but anyone who sees through the pattern of the scenes will unconditionally be impressed by Olmi's specific style of filming. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)