December 2nd: 1900 (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1976)
NOTE: This film will be shown in the high-definition Blu-ray format.
Two boys from families of different classes become friends and then rivals as political change sweeps their country.
Born in Italy, Bernardo Bertolucci originally planned to be a poet like his father, but found himself assisting revered director Pier Paolo Pasolini on a feature film. Within a year, he was adapting a Pasolini story for a film he would direct himself. Influenced by the current French New Wave more than Italian neo-realism, his early works were overtly political but also heavily stylized. His international breakthrough came with 1970's The Conformist, also his first of eight films with cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, which was praised by critics and fellow filmmakers for its bold visual style.
In 1972 came Last Tango in Paris, and its heavy sexual content and the presence of a resurgent Marlon Brando after his appearance in The Godfather turned it into a surprising box office hit and cinema's hot-button cultural event of the year. With this newly-acquired clout Bertolucci would embark on the most ambitious project of his career, a look at Italy's history in the first half of the 20th century from his leftist viewpoint. He co-wrote the script with his brother Giuseppe and frequent collaborator Franco Arcalli.
Requiring a budget too big for Italy's own companies to cover, the project was at one point intended for television, but Bertolucci teamed up with esteemed producer Alberto Grimaldi, who had worked with Sergio Leone, Pasolini, and Federico Fellini. They managed to secure funding from three different Hollywood studios in Paramount, 20th Century Fox, and United Artists, and also gained access to some of its most prominent actors both old and new.
The cast is headed by Robert De Niro (fresh off roles in The Godfather, Part II and Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets) and French actor Gerard Depardieu, joined by Donald Sutherland, screen legends Burt Lancaster and Sterling Hayden (Dr. Strangelove). The two main actresses from The Conformist, Dominique Sanda and Stefania Sandrelli returned, as well as other Italian veterans Romolo Valli (The Leopard, Barbarella) and Alida Valli (Suspiria, The Third Man).
The story is set and was shot on location primarily in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, where Bertolucci's hometown of Parma is located. Behind the camera in his fourth of eight films with the director was cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. Bertolucci envisioned the sections of the films as corresponding with the four seasons, and some of the photography reflects this approach. Principal photography lasted for 10 months, with additional shooting going on for several more months. With 12,000 extras and the budget, it would be the largest and most expensive production in Italian history.
For the musical score, Bertolucci would call again on the great Ennio Morricone, who contributed his own compositions as well as adapting works by Verdi. Post-production resulted in a long battle with Grimaldi as well as the studios, with the film considerably longer than originally intended. It premiered out of competition in two parts at the Cannes Film Festival, and Bertolucci reached a compromise by editing the film down to a 4-hour version for release in the United States. 15 years later it was restored to its original length.
Running time is 5 hrs, 15 min.
Two boys from families of different classes become friends and then rivals as political change sweeps their country.
Born in Italy, Bernardo Bertolucci originally planned to be a poet like his father, but found himself assisting revered director Pier Paolo Pasolini on a feature film. Within a year, he was adapting a Pasolini story for a film he would direct himself. Influenced by the current French New Wave more than Italian neo-realism, his early works were overtly political but also heavily stylized. His international breakthrough came with 1970's The Conformist, also his first of eight films with cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, which was praised by critics and fellow filmmakers for its bold visual style.
In 1972 came Last Tango in Paris, and its heavy sexual content and the presence of a resurgent Marlon Brando after his appearance in The Godfather turned it into a surprising box office hit and cinema's hot-button cultural event of the year. With this newly-acquired clout Bertolucci would embark on the most ambitious project of his career, a look at Italy's history in the first half of the 20th century from his leftist viewpoint. He co-wrote the script with his brother Giuseppe and frequent collaborator Franco Arcalli.
Requiring a budget too big for Italy's own companies to cover, the project was at one point intended for television, but Bertolucci teamed up with esteemed producer Alberto Grimaldi, who had worked with Sergio Leone, Pasolini, and Federico Fellini. They managed to secure funding from three different Hollywood studios in Paramount, 20th Century Fox, and United Artists, and also gained access to some of its most prominent actors both old and new.
The cast is headed by Robert De Niro (fresh off roles in The Godfather, Part II and Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets) and French actor Gerard Depardieu, joined by Donald Sutherland, screen legends Burt Lancaster and Sterling Hayden (Dr. Strangelove). The two main actresses from The Conformist, Dominique Sanda and Stefania Sandrelli returned, as well as other Italian veterans Romolo Valli (The Leopard, Barbarella) and Alida Valli (Suspiria, The Third Man).
The story is set and was shot on location primarily in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, where Bertolucci's hometown of Parma is located. Behind the camera in his fourth of eight films with the director was cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. Bertolucci envisioned the sections of the films as corresponding with the four seasons, and some of the photography reflects this approach. Principal photography lasted for 10 months, with additional shooting going on for several more months. With 12,000 extras and the budget, it would be the largest and most expensive production in Italian history.
For the musical score, Bertolucci would call again on the great Ennio Morricone, who contributed his own compositions as well as adapting works by Verdi. Post-production resulted in a long battle with Grimaldi as well as the studios, with the film considerably longer than originally intended. It premiered out of competition in two parts at the Cannes Film Festival, and Bertolucci reached a compromise by editing the film down to a 4-hour version for release in the United States. 15 years later it was restored to its original length.
Running time is 5 hrs, 15 min.
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