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By
WAYNE KLEIN
Set during May, 1968 a
turbulent time for France, "The Dreamers"
chronicles the sexual tensions that arise between
an incestuous brother (Louis Garrel) and sister
(Eva Green) when they invite Matthew (Michael
Pitt) a young American to stay with them while
their parents are away. Their complicated
relationship and the volatile political situation
in France becomes the backdrop of this story about
a trio of individuals who live in an insulated,
fantasy world surrounded by their love of movies,
literature and each other.
Bertolucci's latest film captures much of the
energy of "The Last Tango in Paris" and other
dramas with an erotic undercurrent but lacks the
wit and charm of his best films. As such, "The
Dreamers" with its strained of the movies as a
metaphor for their insulated life isn't as
effective as he seems to think. I have to wonder
why this got a NC-17. Perhaps it's because they
show someone's penis? I'm not really clear as
other films have simulated sex acts and have left
far less to the imagination and have gotten an R
rating.
Full of rich, wonderful colors the DVD transfer
captures the essence of the original movie in this
sensitively DVD transfer. The rich golden colors
of the trio's apartment and the darker colors of
rioting Paris are rendered with equal
faithfulness. The 5.1 sound mix nicely reproduces
the original film's soundtrack as well. It's not a
DVD I would use to test your 5.1 system but it
still sounds pretty nice.
There's a documentary on the production of
Bertolucci's film capturing the excitement and
sense of mystery that Bertolucci manages to create
on his film sets. We get a grand tour of the film
from the initial interest in Adair's novel through
the completion of the film.
"Outside the Window" chronicles the historical
background on the riots that occurred in Paris
during May 1968 the time frame and background
against which "The Dreamers" is set. It's a
fascinating glimpse back into a politically
charged time and provides much needed context for
those who didn't live through that period. We also
get a music video directed by Bertolucci featuring
star Michael Pitt performing "Hey Joe." The
original theatrical trailer is included as well.
Bertolucci, writer Adair and co-producer Jeremy
Thomas all have a hand in an informative and
entertaining commentary track. Bertolucci is
surprisingly effusive and makes a number of wry
comments on his film as well as others.
Most folks will come to "The Dreamers" for the
titillation factor but, honestly, beyond the
incest angle I can't imagine why this film
received an NC-17. It's not a bad movie just
recalls greater efforts by Bertolucci. The extras
provide a much needed context for the film's
politically charged time. |
