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With such credits as the erotic milestone Last Tango in Paris and his Oscar-winning The Last Emperor Bernardo Bertolucci enjoys a sterling reputation. It is the director's sweeping yet unconventional epic 1900, though, that many see as his masterpiece. 1900 sprawls from its eponymous beginning through the middle of the 20th century with effortless grace, presenting the epic saga of two men born on an Italian estate in the year 1900. Alfredo Berlinghieri (Robert De Niro) will grow up to replace his grandfather (Burt Lancaster) as the "Padroné" -- the landowner. Olmo Dalco (Gérard Depardieu) is a bastard peasant; raised in the vast, lower class Dalco clan under Leo Dalco (Sterling Hayden). As they grow, the men are like brothers, but the world around them drags them apart. As the farms industrialize and the peasants lose their jobs, Olmo joins the socialist party to organize the workers for protection. The frightened landowners turn to the psychotic Attila (Donald Sutherland, never more frighteningly effective on screen) and his fascist black-shirted brethren. Alfredo, while opposing the fascists, feels trapped by his traditional role and cannot fight them. This impotence drives away his wife and one true love, Ada (Dominique Sanda), and alienates him from Olmo. Deftly weaving numerous characters into a tapestry of humanity, Bertolucci and his cast create a magically realistic film, both more gritty and lyrical than most American epics. 1900 is so gorgeously compelling, it's hard to imagine anyone hitting the "pause" button during 1900. Matthew Johnson

All Movie Guide

Bernardo Bertolucci's 255-minute 1900 was a gargantuan undertaking, requiring the resources of three European countries and a trio of American movie studios. Set in the Italian town of Parma, the film's continuity backtracks from Liberation Day in 1945 to the occasion of composer/patriot Giuseppe Verdi's death in 1901. We follow the lives of two men born on that day in 1901, who grow up to be Alfredo Berlinghieti (Robert De Niro) and Olmo Dalco (Gérard Depardieu). Wealthy Alfredo sinks into dissipation, while poverty-stricken Olmo becomes a firebrand labor leader and communist. After WWI, Alfredo is allowed to peacefully retain his land holdings by playing nice with the burgeoning fascists; Olmo, on the other hand, engages in a long-standing battle against the minions of Mussolini. The two protagonists are reunited when Alfredo returns to Parma to preside over Olmo's trial for "political crimes." Co-star Burt Lancaster is cast as Alfredo's wealthy grandfather, who hates to see the old values buried beneath the social travails of the 20th century. Many American prints of 1900 were shortened to 243 minutes, rendering the story hard to follow at times. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 097360880441
• Source: PARAMOUNT
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Editions: Special Edition, Subtitled, Uncensored
• Time: 5:15:00
• Sales Rank: 3,706

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