Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Teringer An Exercise In Nonsense

MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

felixoteiza What a fine mess this movie is. I'm referring of course to the DVD version, the director's cut, which last about 320 min. I remember this one as being a far better movie when I saw it in its short version, in a theatre, in a length about half that. What is with directors, who feel compelled to release the uncut versions of their flicks, even when it has been proved that at such lengths they are real dogs, even more when they were released in that format and they bombed, as the case is with 1900? At least Coppola got the excuse that the public had never seen his uncut AN. One thing that's probably hard to understand, unless you have seen it yourself, is that a 160 min. long 1900 is a completely different film from a 1900 twice that length. There are truly two different movies there. Think of those MAD fold-ups, I think, which show a given picture when the page is spread and then a different one when it's folded up. Viewer's sensibilities are affected in a very different way in both cases. There's immediacy to short movies that's completely lost in long ones. For ex. one critic makes the good point of the ending being goofed, with two old coots making fools of themselves. That's right, but when I saw it in its theatrical version it didn't seem that way, it was instead a very touching ending, because after only 2 hr. of viewing I still had lingering in my mind the beginning, with the rough but deep brotherhood love developed between the two men, I hadn't still forgotten the two kids playing in the field, screwing the Earth; friendship which constitutes the basis on which the whole movie is structured. For that reason also, Alfredo's trial had a greater emotional impact. In the short version, which is far more compact, well rounded, focused, what keeps the movie going for 2, 3 hours is their undying relationship through hell and high water, through too many vicissitudes; their parallel lives is the master column on which the whole plot is weaved. That's completely lost in the DVD version. There, after 320 min. of film Alfredo and Olmo are strangers, their brotherly relationship having been practically forgotten, diluted, overwhelmed by a multitude of different events. That's why there are two different movies here and the one I saw in a movie house was the best one by far.There are scenes that seem to last forever, long after the point has been made. The trial of Alfredo for ex., where we have to digest songs, hymns, political speeches and hear poor peasants venting their spleens. Or when Attila is attacked with dung cakes, did they need 10 min. of movie time for that single scene? Some others are just superfluous, like the one of Olmo killing the pig and then the guy who took the rap for the murder of the Pioppi kid coming back to tell him he knew who was the murderer. What was the purpose that? The same with the scene in the tavern where Ana & Alfredo meet the epileptic prostitute. They reconcile there but did they need the whole scene for that? And I don't even remember the sequence with Attila & Regina being held in the stable and the cemetery, which are both useless anyway. I just remember seeing both hunted down in the fields and then taken down with picks and that was good enough for me.There's also criticism about the lack of character development and that's right, but only if referring to the 320 min. version. The time a director has available for his flick is rather short—usually no more than 90 to 150 min. average—which means choices got to be made, the usual one between plot and characters. That's why some action packed flicks like Guns Of Navarone or Capricorn One contain no character development at all. In such event--charged movie like 1900 even 160 min, are barely enough to contain all the action, which spans times of social upheaval and war, so we can forgive it for its lack of character development. But that's unforgivable for a 320 min. movie, there's no such excuse there. The same for the terrible editing: after an excruciatingly long scene, which is prolonged two o three times what should have been its normal length, a jump cut suddenly brings us one decade ahead. In the short version you don't even notice how bad the editing is, as you are being overwhelmed by a frantic, eventful, plot development.This is obviously a movie that should have lasted no more than 150 to 180 min. and which was stretched to almost three times that length by a director who thought he could do no wrong and that anything he included in his flick had to be masterful. But there's something ever worse, as I remember. The first 90 min, are the same in both versions--i.e. until Olmo comes back from the war—which is no surprising, considering that that's the best part of the movie mainly because it contains the scenes of such greats as Lancaster and Hayden. That means that the remaining 60 to 90 min, of the second part has been stretched to a humongous four hours! No wonder I couldn't recognize here the same film I saw decades ago, after those initial 90 min.I won't rate this movie because, if I did I couldn't give more than 3 or 4/10, and that would be unfair as there's a far better movie in there. Al I can recommend is, look for the short version and judge it by yourself.

Jackson Booth-Millard I knew that this was listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I didn't realise however it was going to be so long, so I watched it as soon as I could so not to risk dozing off, from director Bernardo Bertolucci (Little Buddha, Stealing Beauty). Basically this film follows the life of two men born in the same year, 1900, the beginning of the 20th Century, in Italy, and sees their life going through the years up to 1945. Olmo Dalcò (Gérard Depardieu) was born a bastard of peasant stock with his grandfather Leo (The Asphalt Jungle's Sterling Hayden), Alfredo Berlinghieri (Robert De Niro) was born in a family of landowners with abusive but populist grandfather, also named Alfredo (Burt Lancaster). Despite the social differences, Olmo and Alfredo become childhood friends, Olmo growing to enlist for the army in World War I, Alfredo learning about the landowning business, and their friendship continues when brought together again. Fascism is becoming rife in many people, including sadistic hired foreman Attila Mellanchini (Donald Sutherland), who tortures and kills animals and people, but don't worry, he gets what he deserves eventually. The 1920's begin, and both the men get married, Alfredo to gorgeous Ada Fiastri Paulhan (Dominique Sanda) who develops alcoholism, and Olmo to Anita (Anna Henkel) who dies during childbirth. Of course World War II begins as the 1940's come along, and the two friends in the older age seem to have parted their ways, and brought back together they do not see eye to eye, and in the end Olmo witnesses Alfredo killing himself. Also starring Stefania Sandrelli as Anita Foschi, Alida Valli as Signora Pioppi and Laura Betti as Regina. Both De Niro and Depardieu give credible leading performances, Sutherland is extraordinary as the evil character, and Lancaster gets his time too, there are certainly some eye catching moments and memorable scenes, despite it being five hours and seventeen minutes long, it is I suppose worth it, a most watchable epic period drama. Very good!

danspaceman This masterpiece of cinematic brilliance is the reason films get made. Don't let the fact that it is 5 hours long daunt you - you won't feel the time. You will instead be completely absorbed in an epic story that, despite its rather simple premise of following the lives of two men, is really like watching a novel. I can't really describe the film any other way than that - it is a novel.There are some scenes that are hard to watch, especially in this day and age of political correctness and "you can't do that on television" attitude, but set your 21st century mind aside. This film shows life in its rawest form. Brutal at times, hilarious at others, but altogether real.This film defines the talents of so many household names. It has become like an old friend - like that book you read every year or two. By the end, you will find yourself utterly spent and it will stay with you forever.Novecento is one of those films you absolutely, positively must see before you die.

jonathanruano To explain what I think of a 6 hour movie by Bernardo Bertolucci in a review would be impossible. Suffice to say, Novecento is an epic film that succeeds more often than it fails. The failings, as I perceive them, include Novecento's tendency to drag on for more than six hours so that scenes are included that are simply unnecessary (like the strangely comic scene at the end where the Olmo (Gerard Depardieu) and Alfredo (Robert De Niro) are trying to beat each other to death) and the other problem is the blatant dubbing. But this film has some of the best cinematography ever. Bertolucci approaches his work with the soul of an artist and you can see that in the way he preparing shots and skillfully combines music with images. Most film directors would have shown far less dedication in planning how scenes are filmed, but Bertolucci's intense focus never wavers. Bertolucci also makes a very intelligent use of metaphor, such as the murder of the boy who brings the black gloves to the Fascist Attila. The boy is a metaphor for the youths who are seduced by Italian Fascism and then sent off to die in Mussolini's wars. Finally Bertolucci's Novecento is a movie that makes you think about you see. This is not mindless entertainment. The viewers are expected to study carefully how this film unfolds and more than one viewing is probably necessary to understand and truly appreciate this film. I mean this as a compliment. It is a sign of a great film when the audience is made to think carefully about what they see.ButI left out one thing: the plot. I think that Novecento is the kind of film that just has to be viewed from beginning to end to be understood. This movie does not belong to any genre and any plot summary by me will amount to a gross understatement. So don't ask me what it is about. Just watch it for yourself and arrive at your own conclusions.