Before the Revolution (1964)
"Prima della rivoluzione" (original title)

The study of a youth on the edge of adulthood and his aunt, ten years older. Fabrizio is passionate, idealistic, influenced by Cesare, a teacher and Marxist, engaged to the lovely but ... See full summary »

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Bernardo Bertolucci (story), Gianni Amico (screenplay)

Stars:

Adriana Asti, Francesco Barilli, Allen Midgette

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adriana Asti	...	Gina
Francesco Barilli	...	Fabrizio
Allen Midgette	...	Agostino
Morando Morandini	...	Cesare
Cristina Pariset	...	Clelia
Cecrope Barilli	...	Puck
Evelina Alpi	...	The little girl
Gianni Amico	...	A friend
Goliardo Padova	...	The painter
Guido Fanti	...	Enore
Enrico Salvatore	...	The priest
Amelia Bordi	...	The mother
Domenico Alpi	...	The father
Iole Lunardi	...	The grandmother
Antonio Maghenzani	...	The brother

Storyline

The study of a youth on the edge of adulthood and his aunt, ten years older. Fabrizio is passionate, idealistic, influenced by Cesare, a teacher and Marxist, engaged to the lovely but bourgeois Clelia, and stung by the drowning of his mercurial friend Agostino, a possible suicide. Gina is herself a bundle of nervous energy, alternately sweet, seductive, poetic, distracted, and unhinged. They begin a love affair after Agostino's funeral, then Gina confuses Fabrizio by sleeping with a stranger. Their visits to Cesare and then to Puck, one of Gina's older friends, a landowner losing his land, dramatize contrasting images of Italy's future. Their own futures are bleak.

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Plot Keywords:

italy | suicide | wedding | aunt nephew relationship | cult director | 

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Taglines:

Italy...is the place where they've made an art of everything - especially love!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

12 May 1964 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Before the Revolution

Filming Locations:

Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cineriz, Iride Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bernardo Bertolucci was only 22 when he made this film.

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Quotes

A friend: Remember, Fabrizio: one can't live without Rossellini.

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Connections

References Journey to Italy (1954)

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Soundtracks

"Avevo 15 anni"
Performed by Ennio Ferrari

User Reviews

This IS the revolution

Is it immoral for a nephew and aunt to have an affair? ...who cares? - the question is barely raised. This is the Italian New Wave, a cineaste's dream; forget the story, for style is everything.

Bertolucci's second film, at age 22, still owes a lot to his mentor Pasolini, but now he has taken on board Godard of "A Woman is a Woman" and Truffaut of "Jules and Jim". It's hopelessly overloaded with style but that makes it fascinating to watch. You never know what the camera is going to do next. A long monologue by Adrianna Asti contains so many zooms, pans, cross-cuts, reverse shots, asymmetrical framing, you name it - it's insane. You stop listening to what she is saying and just wonder what on earth Bertolucci is playing at. Playing at making movies I suppose.

It's all fairly aimless but is beautifully shot and the script is quite fine. Asti seems natural as the fragile aunt and Bertolucci makes the most of her - there are moments when she's nudging Audrey Hepburn. There's plenty of gay subtext - a notable feature of many Bertolucci films, for anyone apt to enquire into such things - it certainly assists interpretation.

Hardly juvenilia; if you're in the mood, this is a near masterpiece.