Authentic twist of Italian spice

Ermanno Olmi may not have the renown of Italian film-makers like Fellini or Pasolini, but he's produced something as original and filmically wonderful. This winner of the Palme d'Or in 1978 is set in Lombardy around 1900 and follows an eventful year in the tough lives of a handful of peasant families.

On VHS, I thought its hazy, backlit dandelion-clock atmosphere was deliberate. Now, seeing it on DVD, I realise it was just a bad transfer. Documentary in vision, and slow-paced to the point of almost grinding to a halt, this atmospheric wonder is a different order of film-making altogether - you can almost smell the soil.

Verdict: Tree-mendous.