1900

A historical epic, a decadent fresco, and a bleak portrait of fascism: over five hours long, 1900 is Bertolucci’s most spectacular and ambitious film. Set in the director’s ancestral Emilia-Romagna region, it tells the history of Italy from 1901 to the end of the WWII through the lives of childhood friends set apart by temperament, class, and social position. Alfredo, an heir to a wealthy landowner family (Robert De Niro) is merely a bystander, too shy to take matters into his own hands. Meanwhile, the peasant Olmo (Gérard Depardieu), is a communist and soldier who fights against feudal oppression and fascism. Their ambiguous relationship serves as the base for Bertolucci’s sublime, thrilling, and somewhat operatic vision of a turbulent period in European history, shot brilliantly by Vittorio Storaro and set to music by Ennio Morricone. The international cast included, alongside local actors, Burt Lancaster, Sterling Hayden, Dominique Sanda, and Donald Sutherland. A monumental achievement for Bertolucci, who was, at that time, at the height of his artistic ability.

Sebastian Smoliński

Bernardo Bertolucci (1941-2018) was once a promising poet, but began his film career while still in college alongside Pasolini; he quickly made his debut with The Grim Reaper (1961). Bertolucci’s first Oscar nomination came in 1970 for The Conformist but he attained international acclaim in 1972 with the scandalizing Last Tango in Paris. Bertolucci’s later films also achieved critical success, with The Last Emperor (1987) receiving nine Academy Awards.

4K digital restoration by Cinecittà and Cineteca di Bologna.

Screening schedule: part 1: 163 min + 20 min intermission + part 2: 154 min