Bernardo Bertolucci used the clout and resources he had gained from LAST TANGO IN PARIS to realize the ambitious historical epic 1900. Alfredo (Robert De Niro) and Olmo (Gerard Depardieu) are born on the same day, but Alfredo is the grandson of a wealthy landowner (Burt Lancaster), while Olmo is a bastard born to the peasants who work the rich man's land. The boys grow up as friends who cannot understand the chasm of privilege that separates them--until the time comes for Alfredo to inherit the farm and Olmo the plow. It looks as though Alfredo, under the influence of his worldly wife, Ada (Dominique Sanda), will at least be more enlightened than his predecessors. But Atilla (Donald Sutherland), the local fascist, yokes him (along with the rest of the landowners) to his Black Shirt brutality. Meanwhile, Olmo commits himself, and the peasants he has come to lead, to the hopes of socialism. Although lives are ruined and war ensues, Alfredo and Olmo refuse to let the bewildering course of history destroy their friendship. Bertolucci covers the forty-five-year arc with deft characterization and arresting visuals, including an ear-cutting scene that puts Van Gogh and Quentin Tarantino to shame. The international cast, including Italian, French, and American actors, is superb.



























