The Organizer (1963)

Marcello Mastroianni: Professor Sinigaglia

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Quotes 

• Professor Sinigaglia : Heaven help us. What a sad world this is. A poor devil leaves his native village with his starving family in search of work. Finds it. And what do we do? We take it from him. We plunge him into misery again. Is that fair?

• Niobe : [in bed]  Professor, if you clean up a bit first, there's room for you here.

  Professor Sinigaglia : I'm coming!

• Female Factory Worker : [after voting to end the strike]  Bunch of lily-livers!

  Professor Sinigaglia : Please, friends. Please. Please. No. No they're not a bunch of livy-livers. They're the majority and the majority is the voice of wisdom. You're the crazy ones - - you, Barbero, and you! You! You! You who think 13 hours a day on the job is enough. You who'd like a few extra pennies. You who'd like to avoid the hospital or the poorhouse. But the majority are wise. They find their salary sufficient. The proof: No one has actually died of starvation yet. And statistics show only 20% of you are maimed in accidents. How many are here? Five hundred? Then only 100 of you will end up crippled. You, Baietto, or you, Occhipinti, or your daughter, Gasperina.

• Professor Sinigaglia : Friends, it's not true. We haven't lost. This is only the darkest hour. The side holding out just one hour longer wins! The bosses are even worse off!

  Martinetti : How do you know?

  Professor Sinigaglia : I know! You must believe me! Your stomachs will remain empty and your children's too, if you give up this fight now! The bosses will always win and your misery will continue to enrich them!

  Factory Worker : It's not our factory!

  Professor Sinigaglia : Not yours? Who works there 14 hours a day their whole life? Whose sweat keeps the machines going? You! Then take it! The factory is yours! Show them it means more to you than your own homes! Make the bosses, the city, the government see that it's your life and death! Go! Go! Go, my friends! Go!

• Professor Sinigaglia : [Positively]  The scabs are being sent back to Saluzzo to prevent further incidents. I told you something would happen if we held out.

  Raoul : Sure, a man lost his life. Happy now? How many more do you want?

• Niobe : How'd you get messed up in all this?

  Professor Sinigaglia : Out of selfishness.

  Niobe : I don't understand.

  Professor Sinigaglia : Because I like it, and when you like something, it's not a sacrifoce, and to ensure someday that a girl like you...

  Niobe : What?

  Professor Sinigaglia : ...won't have to make the choices you had to.

• Professor Sinigaglia : [Referring to the effectiveness of the strike while they're lying in bed]  It might even be impossible.

  Raoul : Then you're a lunatic and a scoundrel! Do you want to destroy us all

  Professor Sinigaglia : You expect to win the first time. That doesn't happen. That would be too easy, and you're not the first, you kow. This fight began with Spartacus.

  Raoul : Who's Spartacus?

  Professor Sinigaglia : I'll tell you some other time, but you have to hold out and make them pay, so they know the next time it'll be even worse. That in itself would be a victory - and don't hog the covers.

• Professor Sinigaglia : Excuse me. What town is this?

  Pautasso : A shitty town.

  Martinetti : What an answer! It's Porta Susa, Turin.

• Raoul : You're not one of us. You'll vanish one day just as suddenly as you appeared.

  Professor Sinigaglia : You're right. I'm not one of you. I have no home, no family, no friends. No one 's interested in me, except the police.

  Raoul : Then why are you doing this?

  Professor Sinigaglia : Why? Because I'm full of foolish ideas.

• Maestro Di Meo : Why do we do all this?

  Professor Sinigaglia : Maybe we're out of our minds after all.