On N List of Movie Reviews
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Novecento (1976)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
12/10
12/10:
After finishing Novecento aka 1900, I watched the interviews with Bernardo Bertolucci and Ludovico Bettarello
to help clear up some of the mystery.
It's basically about generations of families that span five decades in Italy, hence the running length of five hours
and fifteen minutes. As confirmed by the director, it's also politically driven. Although Novecento was released in
the United States, I have to be an European, let alone an Italian, to understand and appreciate everything.
Bernardo Bertolucci is correct by stating the culture and identity of Italians had been slowly eroded during the 20th century.
So, does it mean Novecento is redundant? No, absolutely
not. On the contrary, it's a near masterpiece, probably a difficult picture for Bernardo Bertolucci to direct because he
put many aspects together while achieving a balance. There's no flaw throughout, but confusion does come to me in
regard to the number of years that have passed between events.
For example, at the beginning, I didn't realize the two boys were born on the same day, but I knew their childhood
friendship would be tested against time because that's how both stopped from killing each other. Therefore, it's
an important theme. Then, shifting attention away from it, a bigger one is the common bond among
farmers and also among landowners. Hence, Novecento is a film of two social classes in conflict with one another.
That's what it's all about. Meanwhile, the cinematography is magnificent, the pace is deliberate, and the acting is
equally excellent throughout.
All in all, Novecento is a well-crafted work of art that needs to be viewed again.