Bernardo Bertolucci

Il conformista [The Conformist] (1970)

ByChristian Sauvé 2019-12-102023-03-19 Movie Review

(Google Play Streaming, December 2019) There are two or three movies in writer-director Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Conformist, and they’re far from being as interesting. The first has to do with an Italian man in 1930s fascist Italy, desperately trying to fit in normal society. He gets married for the appearance of it, he takes a job in the secret police because it’s the quickest way to attach himself to the state, and he does his best not to stand out—there’s an intriguing premise here all right, except that the film seems intent on reducing his personality quirk to a single childhood incident and ends up in homophobia along the way. (A far more empathic take on the same topic would have been possible, but that’s not what Bertolucci is interested in doing nor what the original novel was doing.) The second third of the film has our newly married protagonist going to Paris to reconnect with an old teacher, and to kill him. But there’s the teacher’s wife and a quickly sketched love triangle to complicate things. Finally, there’s a depressing third act to the film, back in Italy, where the point is to show how things fall apart. What does bring the film together is a strong sense of visual style, with a stunning use of fascist-era architecture and impeccable visual composition. The Conformist may be disappointing in the way it ties (or doesn’t) its story threads, but it’s still worth a look of a sheer visual basis alone. The genre elements of the impending assassination prevent the film from sinking into mainstream drama morass, while the striking visuals help distinguish it from strict neorealism. It’s still of limited interest, but it does have some interest and that is more than I can say about other similar movies of the era.

Movie Review

The Last Emperor (1987)

ByChristian Sauvé 2019-07-242023-03-18 Movie Review

(On Cable TV, July 2019) While we think of the 1950s–1960s as the golden era of epic filmmaking, a few later examples show that the tradition kept going well afterwards. And frankly, “epic” is the kind of word that comes most naturally when discussing The Last Emperor, a film that heads to China in order to take us through fifty years of history as seen through the eyes of Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, selected for the throne at the age of 2, treated like a demigod during his childhood, deposed, propped up as a fake leader of a fake country, disgraced by the communists, rehabilitated thanks to his remorsefulness and ultimately dying as a humble gardener. It’s quite a story, but The Last Emperor does have a compulsive watchability that keeps it interesting despite a generous running time. You may or may not want to use the lulls in the narrative to read through Pu Yi’s Wikipedia article for added context. For one thing, you will find the film generally exact but somewhat coy in its depiction of its protagonist. Yes, much of the incredible story told here is true to the facts, as mind-boggling as they are. On the other hand, Pu Yi was far more of a serial sadist and abuser than the film lets on. Flogging of servants was a regular hobby of his throughout much of his life, and some of the darker corners of his biography are simply horrifying (think twice about reading what happened to his first wife). The film, perhaps in an attempt to maintain audience sympathy, doesn’t delve too deep in those aspects. It may lead viewers to express far too much pity for a historical figure that didn’t deserve it. Still, The Last Emperor is directed with skill and manages to present a lightweight history lesson somewhat effectively. The recreation of life in the Forbidden City in the last years of the Chinese Empire is nothing short of mesmerizing, and the high production value keep up through the less glamorous years of Pu Yi’s life. It’s easy to see why the film walked away with nine Oscars—including two for writer-director Bernardo Bertolucci.

Movie Review

The Dreamers (2003)

ByChristian Sauvé 2019-05-052023-03-18 Movie Review

(In French, On TV, May 2019) No matter which culture you’re from, Paris exerts this irresistible pull as a travel destination, or better yet as the place to go for a coming-of-age experience. I’ve now seen movies from countries as far away as America and China purring over French culture, and Anglo/French/Italian co-production The Dreamers certainly plays into that trend. Our initial anchor is a young American man travelling to Paris to study French in the late 1960s, during which he gets involved with very close twins that invite him to stay at their apartment, the arrangement eventually becoming a form of romantic triangle. They don’t do a whole of formal classroom study during the course of the film, going instead for lengthy discussions about life, love, cinema, politics and runs through Le Louvre. Right at the moment when it seems it won’t end well, the 1968 Paris protests begin and the film ends on a thoroughly romantic note. This heavily romanticized vision of studying in Paris has attracted a lot of attention for its copious nudity (much, but not all of it from Eva Green, who has since made it one of her trademarks) but is most interesting for its portrayal of three young cinephiles exchanging classic cinema references (many of them illustrated by clips) and living life in 1960s Paris. Writer-director Bernardo Bertolucci clearly wanted to create a belated French Nouvelle Vague movie, so specifically does it associate with this movement and quote its inspirations. The result does seem in the same vein, although (cinema having changed since the 1960s), some elements of The Dreamers would appear closer to titillation than homage. But that’s Bertolucci for you…

Movie Review

Ultimo Tango a Parigi [Last Tango in Paris] (1972)

ByChristian Sauvé 2018-04-182019-03-12 Movie Review

(On TV, April 2018) I’m usually a good sport about watching movies that predate my birth—the world has moved on since then, some have not aged very well but it’s important to put them in context and appreciate them for what they were trying to do at the time. This being said, appreciating a film for its artistic intent is not the same thing as liking a film that goes out of its way to be unpleasant, and so I find myself quite willing to dismiss Last Tango in Paris out of hand from 2018’s perspective. The story of a so-called erotic drama between two strangers meeting in a Paris apartment, this is a film that delights in the more sordid aspects of human nature, adultery and domination being part of the package. Writer/Director Bernardo Bertolucci has his own obsessions, but they’re not necessarily fun to watch. Maria Schneider is cute enough (especially with curly hair) but Marlon Brando is a significant obstacle to any enjoyment of the movie. Shot at a time when Brandon was halfway through his slide from the energetic young man of his first performances to the bloated mess of his later years, he’s suitably repellent here, with balding head, expanding gut, aggressive attitude and twice the age of his co-star—hardly the sex symbol that an “erotic drama” would call for. Much of the events throughout the film are unpleasant, with a number of unbearable moments along the way. By the tragic ending, we feel relief that it’s finally over. I’m not a good audience for the kind of drama that is Last Tango in Paris, so I shouldn’t be surprised if it was such an ordeal to watch.