Most films today push the line with sex more than ever. But Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers has crossed that line with an NC-17 rating. The question to ask is, is this a good thing or a bad thing? I assure you, it’s worth it.
Despite its NC-17 rating, the film is not solely about sex. The Dreamers explores the political turbulence of Paris in 1968, as three young film buffs are drawn together through their passion for cinema.
Matthew, played by up-and-comer Michael Pitt, is an American exchange student, who becomes friends with a French brother and sister who share a common love of the cinema.
Throughout the film, Matthew and his new friends attend student riots, which eventually shut down most of the French government, and they begin to develop a relationship unlike anything Matthew had in mind.
Asked to live with the siblings when their parents go away on a trip, open-minded Matthew comes to realize that this brother and sister share more than blood. They undress together, bathe together and even sleep in the nude together.
The film is filled with one nude scene after another. But somehow, it works. It’s not meant to be a sexy film, but one about love and standing up for what you believe in. As the film finishes, all this comes together. Despite the constant nudity, this film wouldn’t be the same without it.
Michael Pitt has come far since his days as Jen’s younger boyfriend on the WB’s Dawson’s Creek. His performance is daring at all times. Bernardo Bertolucci is honest in capturing the ‘make love, not war’ era.
His approach is different than any film about this decade, making for a memorable and classy cinematic experience.
Kevin NoltyJosephine Munis can be reached at Knolty81@aol.com
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