1900 (film)
Categories: 1976 films | Drama films | Film stubs
1900 (also called Novecento) is a 1976 epic film starring Robert de Niro, Gérard Depardieu, Donald Sutherland, and Burt Lancaster, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Set in Bertolucci's ancestral region of Emilia, the film chronicles the lives of two men during the political turmoils that took place in Italy in the first half on the 20th century.
Alfredo Berlinghieri (de Niro) and Olmo Dalco (Depardieu) are born on the same day in 1900, but belong to opposite ends of the social spectrum. Alfredo is the son of a rich landowner, while Olmo is a misbegotten peasant son. As Alfredo is somewhat rebellious and despises the falseness of his family, in particular his father, he befriends Olmo, who is brought up as a socialist.
After World War I, their friendship (with slightly homoerotic overtones) continues, but slowly the rise of the fascists as embodied by the sadistic Attila (Donald Sutherland) separates them. Alfredo chooses the side of Fascism, while Olmo fights for the communists.
The original director's cut of the film runs 5 1/2 hours in length. When first released in the United States it was cut down to about 4 hours and dubbed into English. In 1991 the film was restored to its original length and shown in a limited release. While the original U.S. release received mixed reviews, with many critics commenting on how choppy and difficult to follow it appeared due to many scenes having been excised, critics who saw the restored version consider it a vast improvement. Leonard Maltin classified the original US release as a "glorious mess" while restored version was labled "potent but still choppy."
External links
- 1900 at the Internet Movie Database