The Working Class Goes to Heaven (La classe operaia va in paradiso) is a 1971 Italian drama film directed by Elio Petri. It stars Gian Maria Volonté as Lulù Massa, a dedicated yet exploited factory worker. The film also features Mariangela Melato and Salvo Randone in key roles. Known for its sharp critique of industrial capitalism and worker alienation, the film was part of the politically charged cinema of 1970s Italy, often associated with the genre of “leftist cinema.”

The story follows Lul√π, a hardworking assembly line worker who prides himself on his productivity. However, after suffering a workplace accident that costs him a finger, he begins to question his blind loyalty to the factory. As he is drawn into labor activism and student protests, Lul√π faces internal conflict between his old capitalist ideals and newfound class consciousness. The film explores themes of worker exploitation, dehumanization, and the psychological toll of industrial labor.

The Working Class Goes to Heaven won the Palme d‚Äö√Ñ√Â
¥ Or at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival, sharing the top prize with The Mattei Affair. It remains a significant film in the history of Italian political cinema.