Can a factory worker find liberation in a system designed to break him?
In short: Elio Petri’s 1971 masterpiece, The Working Class Goes to Heaven, explores the dehumanization of industrial labor. Through the eyes of Lulù Massa, a hyper-efficient worker who loses a finger to the machine, the film dissects the friction between individual survival, union compromise, and the radical dreams of political outsiders.
Lulù Massa is a 31-year-old factory veteran who has spent 15 years tethered to the assembly line. Initially, he is the management’s ideal employee—a man whose relentless pace justifies higher production quotas, earning him only the resentment of his peers. He remains indifferent to both the unionists seeking better conditions and the students agitating for revolution outside the gates. His only connection to the human cost of his environment is his visits to Militina, a former colleague now institutionalized after the crushing weight of the factory destroyed his mind.
The turning point arrives when Lulù suffers a workplace accident, losing a finger. This physical trauma triggers a psychological shift, leading him to embrace radicalism, strike alongside militants, and invite student activists into his home. However, his transformation comes at a steep personal cost: his partner, Lidia, leaves him, and his newfound political allies eventually discard him, viewing him as an isolated individual case rather than a useful revolutionary tool. By the time he is rehired following a union-management deal, he is on the brink of madness, haunted by dreams of breaking through the walls of his own existence.
The film’s production was as gritty as its subject matter. Director Elio Petri shot scenes in a shuttered factory in Novara, Piedmont, which had been occupied by its own former workers, many of whom appeared as extras. Upon its release, the film polarized critics. While it won the Grand Prix at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival and the David di Donatello for Best Film, reactions were mixed. Some praised its precise portrayal of industrial life, while others, like Natalia Ginzburg, dismissed it as confusing. Even among filmmakers, it sparked intense debate; legend suggests director Jean-Marie Straub demanded the film be burned, a sentiment that underscores the raw, abrasive power Petri captured on screen.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Working Class Goes to Heaven
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/entertainment-the-working-class-goes-to-heaven.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Films · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics
