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THE DREAMERS
Directed by: Bernardo Bertolucci.
Produced by: Jeremy Thomas.
Written by: Gilbert Adair, based on his novel, The Holy Innocents.
Director of Photography: Fabio Cianchetti.
Edited by: Jacopo Quadri.
Released by: Fox Searchlight.
Country of Origin: UK/France/Italy. 115 min. Rated: NC-17.
With: Michael Pitt, Louis Garrel & Eva Green.
DVD Features: Commentary by director Bernardo Bertolucci, writer Gilbert Adair & producer Jeremy Thomas. "Bertolucci Makes The Dreamers" documentary. "Outside the Window: Events in France, May, 1968" featurette. Michael Pitt music video "Hey Joe." Trailer. English, French & Spanish audio. English & Spanish subtitles.

Matthew (Pitt), a shy American studying in Paris, meets the magnetic brother-sister duo of Isabelle and Theo (Green and Garrel). The attractive siblings take Matthew under their wing, or into their cocoon - as it were - just after French film archivist Henri Langlois has been fired by the government. Students protest, and the streets fill with youthful energy, anger, and enthusiasm for change. Instead of taking part in the upheaval that was 1968 Paris, Isabelle and Theo take Matthew into their parents' home where they will be locked away alone for several weeks. There, Matthew discovers different rules (brother and sister sleeping nude together) and is aroused by a relationship seemingly without barriers into which he is enthusiastically welcomed. The siblings play titillating games (Isabelle mimes a film character and if Theo can’t guess who it is, he has to masturbate onto his poster of Marlene Dietrich.) Matthew plays along, but not without trepidation. He falls in love with Isabelle, but is alarmed by her psychotic attachment to her brother.

The Dreamers is filled with some very corny dialogue. (When Matthew follows Theo and Isabelle into the throngs of student protesters who are about to confront the police, he kisses Isabelle and notes, "This is what we do." Then he grabs from Theo’s hands a Molotov cocktail and cries "This is what they (the police) do.") But the performances by these three young actors are impressive, and the relationship between Theo and Isabelle (roles Garrel and Green especially thrive in) is complicated and intriguing. Moments where the trio mimic scenes from other films are especially well placed and chosen. Director Bertolucci's attention to detail, his technical skill in appropriating classic films and paying them homage while making a strong statement about a refusal to face the world is all quite lyrical. But the oversights of some of the worst lines in art house cinema is the director's (and the film's) nearly unforgivable flaw. Joel Whitney, screenwriter/poet, teaches at Fordham University
February 6, 2004

DVD Extras: The filmmakers stress they were trying to evoke the spirit of the age, a time of both youthful rebellion and discovery, not only on the transgression of social taboos. Historical accuracy for the film was never their goal. They also discuss the graphic sexual content, contrasting voyeurism with the intimate shooting style they purposely chose. The other extras include the trailer, a music video, and two featurettes. While these last two probably could have been combined into one concise piece, they are at times interesting. “Outside the Window: Events in France, May 1968” provides historical background on the events of that year, while “Bernardo Bertolucci makes The Dreamers" is more of a behind-the-scenes look from the perspective of the director. While it occasionally lags, the viewer is given prime access to the set and the director's thoughts on many issues of filmmaking. Michael Fisher
July 24, 2004