The Tree of Wooden Clogs
Seen it?1978 | 187 min | Drama
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Unhurried and epic, at 3 hr 7 min.
- What might put you off
- It's long: 3 hr 7 min.
- It's in Italian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1978: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
On a turn-of-the-20th-century northern Italian farm, a group of sharecroppers eke out a threadbare existence. A priest advises Batisti and his wife Batistina that their young son Minec should be formally educated, so they sacrifice his help in the fields and send him to school. When Minec's wooden shoe breaks one day, Batisti--in an act of desperation--puts the family's future at risk to replace the clog.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
94% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.6 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 Cannes award: Palme d'Or. Plus 2 other awards.
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 24K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Ermanno Olmi
- Luigi OrnaghiBatistì
- Francesca MoriggiBatistina
- Omar BrignoliMinec
- Antonio FerrariTuni
- Teresa BrescianiniWidow Runk
- Giuseppe BrignoliAnselmo
- Carlo RotaPeppino
- Pasqualina BrolisTeresina
- Massimo FratusPierino
- Francesca VillaAnnetta