| Overall Grade: |
A+ |
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| Story: |
A |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
A+ |
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| Visuals: |
A+ |
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CINEMA SEX MUSIC POLITICS PHILOSOPHY
by "Llama" (movies profile)
May 28, 2005
5
of
5 people found this review helpful
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. |
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