Property Is No Longer a Theft

A poor bank clerk, actually allergic to money and disgusted by its pernicious impact on society, conducts a harassment campaign against a wealthy butcher, taking minor, unimportant objects but never money from him. Elio Petri directed the 1973 Italian comedy film Property Is No Longer a Theft. The film was submitted to the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival. Total, a young bank employee, feels his life is unsatisfying, with its gloomy, bleak outlook. He envies the money of many of his customers, which is often obtained through illicit or unscrupulous means. He chooses to start a new life as a criminal after surviving an armed robbery. After quitting his work, he begins quietly with little thefts in supermarkets, moving to larger scams, including one on a previous client, a butcher. He adores nice clothing, automobiles, and ladies, but his neuroticism and social consciousness are issues.