HEADS UP ON A MOVIE TO RECORD AND WATCH
For those who get the MGM channels on cable, like I do with DirecTV, or for those who have Amazon Prime, there’s a version of a movie I never thought I’d get to see that’s going to be available to download and record this weekend. I just happened to discover it going through the channels to see what I might catch this weekend, and I want to pass it on to all of you. A friend I gave a heads-up found it in her Prime list. It could be playing on other streamers. But it’s only playing once this weekend.
I refer to the five-and-a-half hour Director’s Cut of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “1900.” In my book, this is the best film ever done on the topic of fascism and what it does in the lives of the people in the country it happens in. The film is a history of Italy and the rise and fall of fascism, seen through the lives of two boys - one the son of the padrone of the estate and one the illegitimate son of the daughter of the leading peasant on the estate - born on January 1, 1900 and their lives through 1945.
Burt Lancaster plays the padrone and Sterling Hayden the peasant; Robert DeNiro plays Lancaster’s son, and Gerard Depardieu the son of Hayden. DeNiro is the upper class playboy who thinks he’s “above politics,” Depardieu becomes the Communist leader in the district. The film is stolen in broad daylight by Donald Sutherland in what I think is the best performance he ever gave as the local overseer who is recruited by the landllords to become their representative to Mussolini’s fascists, who becomes the fascist district leader and overwhelms all of them - until he falls. His role is postiviely chilling; there are two scenes I am not going to describe - so that they hit you emotionally the way they’re designed to - that define the essence of what fascism is on a smack-you-in-the-face emotional level.
The cast is a who’s who of the best international A List of the 1970s, all of whom are at the top of their game.
You’ll kick yourself if you don’t catch this. I’ve seen the two and a half hour version twice, and I’ve heard from a friend who saw this cut 30 years ago that it makes the theatrical release look like a “Cliff’s Notes” version.
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well done, Tom. I also saw the pathetic cut they released when the movie first came out and I've seen the Director's Cut (actually, I'm not sure if THIS version is actually the one Bertolucci wanted, but it's probably close...I've heard of longer versions ). and yes, it's a significant experience to watch it. I'veseen it compared with "Gone With the Wind" in terms of size and sweep. of course, GWTW is pretty much unwatchable today, despite all the money on the screen.
the long version of "1900" IS demanding enough to be a little harder to watch as frequently as a lot of other movies I like to check out at least once a year. for example, I watch "The Conformist" (Bertolucci's earlier, much tidier and equally superb take on what Fascism does to people with a possible career-best performance by Jean-Louis Trintignant, who was always sensational) at least once a year, and it's a gift that keeps on giving. it's almost embarrassing to tell people that I've seen "Last Tango in Paris" about 22 times, although the last few times, it began to get a little old (except for Brando's magnificent, heartbreaking monologue, which was completely autobiographical).
a small (and probably silly) warning about "1900": when it came out, a few people I knew made comments like "the screenplay came right out of Moscow," etc. this kind of thing has never been an issue for me at all and, in my opinion, such comments indicate profound philistinism. but when he made the movie, Bertolucci was very much a proud Italian Communist. but, then again, so was half of Italy (and most of the best directors). that's not hyperbole...Italian filmmakers in the '50s and '60s were actually required to make sure that half the crew they hired had to be Communists.
Thanks for the heads up Tom. I have Amazon Prime. It sounds amazing, and what a great cast.