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