CINEMA SEX MUSIC POLITICS PHILOSOPHY
"Le Français... C'est la langue du cinema!"
- Bernardo Bertolucci
In the
Parisian Spring of 1968, protest and and
political unrest was in the air. The same was
true in many parts of the world at that time,
but Paris was very much the center of change...
politically, culturally, artistically and
sexually. Bernardo Bertolucci vividly recreates
this time and place in his latest film, an
erotic, sensual and hedonistic dream immersed in
the heart of this revolution. 'The Dreamers' is
a gorgeous film about three idealistic young
students who while away the hours and days in
their vast Parisian apartment talking about love
and sex, war and politics, morality and films.
And just outside their windows the world is
changing.
Matthew (Michael Pitt) is quiet, bordering on
shy. He is a polite and unassuming nineteen
year-old American studying in Paris who spends
most of his time at the Cinémathèque Française,
which was the center of artistic passion at the
time. The devoted patrons of the cinémathèque
were cinephiles of the highest order and were
utterly devoted to their favorite films and
directors. He makes friends with Théo and
Isabelle, "some real Parisians" as he tells his
Mother on the phone. Théo (Louis Garrel) is an
elegant rebel who feels passionately about
almost everything. He doesn't get along with his
father but still accepts monthly checks from him
to support himself. His twin sister Isabelle
(Eva Green) is a romantic idealist and an
intellectual, overflowing with cinematic drama,
as when she mimics Greta Garbo in 'Queen
Christina'.
The three of them stimulate and inspire one
another. Théo broods about everything and
challenges Matthew on various topics. They get
into heated debates about Chaplin versus Keaton,
Clapton versus Hendrix, and war versus pacifism.
Matthew is a pacifist who truly believes his
mind is more powerful than his fists. He is more
accepting of turmoil than Théo, who feels a more
urgent need to be noticed and heard.
Isabelle is a sensualist... Wanting to touch,
taste and feel everything she can, sometimes all
at once. Her sensual inhibitions lead her and
her brother into very unusual territory. They
sleep in the same bed every night. They kiss
each other softly, the way lovers do. It is as
if they've known only each other before they met
Matthew. And they are oblivious to the oddity of
the nature of their relationship.
In one early scene, we discover that Isabelle
and Théo challenge each other in a little
cinematic trivia game where one has to pay the
"forfeit" if the answer is not provided. When
Théo misses a question, Isabelle makes him
masturbate in front of her and Matthew. A while
later, they involve Matthew in their games, and
when he is unable to deliver the correct
response, they order him to make love to
Isabelle. Their group dynamic is fascinating, if
somewhat bizarre.
To some degree, these three characters are
living in a dream world while holed up in their
apartment. But the inevitable intrusion of the
outside turmoil always lingers. And in one
scene, late in the film, that intrusion is a
shocking wake-up call to both them and us. And
in a very real way, that outside turmoil saves
their lives. The reality of their situation
overpowers the romanticism and they are forced
to grow up and confront the real issues of the
world.
At first, one suspects that these three friends
will face the world together. However, it is the
differences between Matthew and Théo that lead
to the destruction of their threesome. And it is
only then that we see Isabelle's loyalty was
never really in question at all.
Perhaps it all sounds rather cryptic. But that
is the nature of Bertolucci's work... Maybe that
is true of all great directors. There are always
layers peeling away to reveal new layers.
Bertolucci's direction is masterful. He is able
to tell a very basic story of three friends
being sexually playful and intertwine it with
questions of morality and political intrigue. He
weaves in some lovely references to classic
films, some overt and some very subtle. There is
a lovely scene where the three of them race
through The Louvre in exactly the same way as
was done in Jean-Luc Godard's 'Bande à part'. He
intercuts his film with footage from Godard's
classic. He does the same when Isabelle mimics
Garbo. He also gives subtle nods to 'The Third
Man', 'Breathless', 'Mouchette' and 'Blonde
Venus'. I also love the inclusion of footage
from Chaplin's 'City Lights' as they debate
Chaplin and Keaton.
There is one truly magnificent scene in 'The
Dreamers' that I must make special note of. Our
three main characters are all squeezed into a
bathtub, soaking away, as they debate the merits
of war versus the consequences of going to jail
for desertion. As their debate fizzles,
Bertolucci uses a tri-fold mirror to capture all
three faces in a way that would be logistically
impossible otherwise. Many directors have used
mirrors to great effect throughout the history
of filmmaking, but this was brilliantly
original. The scene continues as they all doze
off into a lazy deep sleep.
The performances are delicate and finely tuned.
Michael Pitt, who bears an uncanny resemblance
to Leonardo di Caprio, balances his role
carefully between wide-eyed naiveté and
intellectual pretension. In essence, he plays
the blank slate for the two engines of the
story, Theo and Isabelle. It is a breakthrough
role that will hopefully lead to more great
choices. Louis Garrel delivers a nice turn but
seems to be overshadowed a little. The
screenplay never really requires him to break
out of his shell. Perhaps his role is slightly
underwritten.
The standout is Eva Green. She announces herself
as a new star with this brave role. It is a
brilliant performance that requires her to bear
more than just her naked body for the bulk of
the running time. One gets the feeling she was
rubbed emotionally raw by this film. Her
character is the type who feels deeper, loves
deeper and hurts deeper than the others. If she
chooses, Eva Green will be a huge star over the
next decade or two.
This glorious film is definitely intended for
cinephiles. It is for all those who are often
labeled pretentious by the hoards of average
moviegoers who only seem to describe movies in
two ways, 'kicks ass' or 'sucks'. 'The Dreamers'
is intellectually stimulating, artistically
intriguing, politically relevant, sexually
charged and subtly profound. I recommend it
strictly for those who already know the way to
the local art-house theatre without having to
look up directions on the internet.
Unfortunately, this type of film doesn't merit
must-see viewing for most moviegoers anymore.
But it is the type of film that would have had
ticket lines around the block in the streets of
Paris in 1968. Times have changed and more
people are eager to see 'Matrix' sequels these
days. It's kind of sad really. But there are
still a few million of us in this world who are
eager for this more weighty material. It's just
that we aren't as likely to run into someone
else who is willing to discuss it with us.
'The Dreamers' is not a film designed strictly
for entertainment, although there is a lot of
fun to be had. More than anything though, it
leaves me steeped in thought about so many
things and it has me wistful and nostalgic for a
time when this type of film was more the
talk-of-town than the latest CGI action-fest or
teen-queen high-school fairytale. 'The Dreamers'
represents real cinema.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
I've
watched Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Dreamers"
twice in the last 24 hours...I'm unsure if this
is because it is a film that captured my fancy
so much or if it simply because there is so much
that I feel like I missed upon my first viewing.
True
cinephiles should consider this film a
must-see...It is a masterful, but not quite
perfect work by Bernardo Bertolucci. It is a
fine example of French cinema, and a bold,
daring film. To capture the true essence of the
film...it's messages, values, morals and
lessons...do not see an edited version of this
film...see it as Bertolucci intended...the NC-17
version of this film is a MUST. The NC-17 rating
is largely due to open scenes of nudity and
sexuality, including full-frontal nudity of both
males and female. It is essential to the story
being told, however, those offended by such
scenes should steer clear of it. You will,
however, be missing a wonderful cinematic
achievement.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
