1900 (1976) Novecento (original title)

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Franco Arcalli (written by) and
Giuseppe Bertolucci (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 November 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

Set in Italy, the film follows the lives and interactions of two boys/men, one born a bastard of peasant stock (Depardieu)...

Plot Keywords:

Peasant | Friend | Italy | Italian | Epic

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Alfredo Berlinghieri
Gérard Depardieu	...	Olmo Dalcò (as Gerard Depardieu)
Dominique Sanda	...	Ada Fiastri Paulhan
Francesca Bertini	...	Sister Desolata
Laura Betti	...	Regina
Werner Bruhns	...	Ottavio Berlinghieri
Stefania Casini	...	Neve - Epileptic Woman
Sterling Hayden	...	Leo Dalcò
Anna Henkel-Grönemeyer	...	Anita the Younger (as Anna Henkel)
Ellen Schwiers	...	Amelia
Alida Valli	...	Signora Pioppi
Romolo Valli	...	Giovanni Berlinghieri
Bianca Magliacca	...	Peasant Woman
Giacomo Rizzo	...	Rigoletto
Pippo Campanini	...	Don Tarcisio
Paolo Pavesi	...	Alfredo as a Child
Roberto Maccanti	...	Olmo as a Child
Antonio Piovanelli	...	Turo Dalcò
Paulo Branco	...	Orso Dalcò (as Paolo Branco)
Liù Bosisio	...	Nella Dalcò (as Liú Bosisio)
Maria Monti	...	Rosina Dalcò
Anna Maria Gherardi	...	Eleonora
Demesio Lusardi	...	Montanaro - Big Eared Peasant
Pietro Longari Ponzoni	...	Pioppi
Angelo Pellegrino	...	Tailor
José Quaglio	...	Aranzini
Clara Colosimo	...	Woman who accuses Olmo
Mario Meniconi
Carlotta Barilli	...	Peasant
Odoardo Dall'aglio	...	Oreste Dalcò
Piero Vida
Vittorio Fanfoni	...	Fanfoni - a fascist
Alessandro Bosio	...	Fascist
Sergio Serafini	...	Young Fascist
Patrizia De Clara	...	Stella
Edda Ferronao	...	Stella's Daughter
Winni Riva	...	Parisian Peasant
Fabio Garriba	...	Peasant at Attila's execution
Nazzareno Natale	...	Peasant at Attila's execution
Katerina Kosak	...	Parisian Peasant
Stefania Sandrelli	...	Anita Foschi
Donald Sutherland	...	Attila Mellanchini
Burt Lancaster	...	Alfredo Berlinghieri the Elder
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Francesco D'Adda	...	Soldier on Train (uncredited)
Allen Midgette	...	Vagabond (uncredited)
Salvator Mureddu	...	Chief of the King's Guards (uncredited)
Mimmo Poli	...	Fascist (uncredited)
Tiziana Senatore	...	Regina as a Child (uncredited)

Directed by
Bernardo Bertolucci

Writing credits
Franco Arcalli		(written by) and
Giuseppe Bertolucci		(written by) and
Bernardo Bertolucci		(written by)

Produced by
Alberto Grimaldi	....	producer

Original Music by
Ennio Morricone

Cinematography by
Vittorio Storaro

Film Editing by
Franco Arcalli

Production Design by
Maria Paola Maino
Gianni Quaranta

Art Direction by
Ezio Frigerio

Set Decoration by
Maria Paola Maino

Costume Design by
Gitt Magrini

Makeup Department
Paolo Borselli	....	hair stylist
Iole Cecchini	....	hair stylist (as Jole Cecchini)
Giannetto De Rossi	....	key makeup artist
Fabrizio Sforza	....	makeup artist
Maurizio Trani	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Giuseppe Banchelli	....	production supervisor
Paolo De Andreis	....	production manager
Augusto Marabelli	....	production supervisor
Alessandro Mattei	....	production supervisor
Silvano Spoletini	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Massimo Arcalli	....	assistant director
Suzanne Durrenberger	....	second assistant director
Clare Peploe	....	second assistant director
Gabriele Polverosi	....	assistant director
Peter Shepherd	....	assistant director
Giovanni Soldati	....	second assistant director
Claudio Taddei	....	third assistant director
Giuseppe Bertolucci	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Carlo Agate	....	construction chief
Mauro Pagano	....	assistant production designer
Gianni Silvestri	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Fausto Ancillai	....	sound mixer
Roberto Arcangeli	....	foley artist
Michael Billingsley	....	sound editor (as Mike Billingsley)
Claudio Maielli	....	sound
Giuliano Maielli	....	sound recordist
Alessandro Peticca	....	sound editor (as Sandro Peticca)
Decio Trani	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Andrea Baracca	....	digital color timing: restored version HD to 35mm (uncredited)
Ludovico Bettarello	....	digital online film restoration: Technicolor Rome (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Giuseppe Alberti	....	assistant camera
Luciano Galli	....	chief electrician
Alfredo Marchetti	....	key grip
Mauro Marchetti	....	assistant camera
Angelo Novi	....	still photographer
Enzo Tosi	....	camera operator
Enrico Umetelli	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vittoria Guaita	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Gabriella Cristiani	....	assistant editor
Ugo De Rossi	....	assistant editor
Fernanda Indoni	....	second assistant editor
Ernesto Novelli	....	color technician
Rosemarie Ruddies	....	assistant editor
Elvio Sordoni	....	assistant editor
Chris Balton	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Angelo Giovagnoli	....	musician: french horn
Nando Monica	....	musician: accordion
Ennio Morricone	....	conductor
Rota	....	musician: ocarina (uncredited)

Other crew
Ferruccio Amendola	....	voice dubbing: Robert De Niro
Claudio Camaso	....	voice dubbing: Gérard Depardieu (as Claudio Volonté)
Riccardo Caneva	....	administrative director
Riccardo Cucciolla	....	dubbing director
Leonardo Curreri	....	administrator
Mario Di Biase	....	general manager
Rossella Ferrero	....	production secretary (as Rosella Ferrero)
Maurizio Forti	....	administrator
Clemente Giovannini	....	press office
Alberto Grimaldi	....	presenter
Antonio Guidi	....	voice dubbing: Donald Sutherland
Renato Mori	....	voice dubbing: Sterling Hayden
Nico Naldini	....	press office
Enzo Ocone	....	continuity
Antonio Pala	....	administrator
Giuseppe Rinaldi	....	voice dubbing: Burt Lancaster
Angelo Sarago	....	administrator
Rita Savagnone	....	voice dubbing: Dominique Sanda

Production Companies

• Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA) (as PEA Produzioni Europee Associate-Rome)
• Les Productions Artistes Associés (co-production)
• Artemis Film (co-production) (as Artemis Film GMBH - Berlin)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1977) (USA) (theatrical) (cut)
• Action Gitanes (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1976) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1977) (USA) (theatrical) (cut)
• Paramount Pictures (1988) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan on double tape)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Cine Video Corporation (CVC) S.r.l. (1998) (Italy) (VHS) (remastered complete version) (Italian dialogue)
• Eagle Pictures (2003) (Italy) (DVD) (uncut)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Eagle Pictures (2007) (Italy) (DVD) (special edition) (uncut)
• Divisa Home Video (2008) (Spain) (DVD)
• United Artists Films (1976) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS / Fox Video (1987) (Greece) (VHS)
• FS Film Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Gativideo (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2012) (Belgium) (DVD) (restored version)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD) (restored version)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Olive Films (2011) (Canada) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Olive Films (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Scanvideo (198?) (Finland) (video)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (200?) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1985) (1993) (2009) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Language and Motion Ltd.  post-production (as Language & Motion, Ltd.)
• Eureka Edizioni Musicali  music publisher
• Technicolor  color by
• Veste RTC  costumes (as Sartoria Veste)
• Tirelli Costumi  costumes (as Sartoria Tirelli)
• Ditta Maggi  wigs
• Actiline  makeup
• Ditta Pompei  shoes (as Pompei)
• Ditta Rancati  props (as Rancati)
• Cooperativa  sound post-production
• Fono Roma  sound re-recording
• International Recordings  sound mixing (as International Recording)
• Orchestra dell'Unione Musicisti di Roma (U.M.R.)  orchestra (as Orchestra Sinfonica dell'Unione Musicisti di Roma)
• Cine Audio Effects  sound effects and foley design

Also Known As:

"Novecento" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

USA:245 min (R-rated version) | 317 min (uncut version) | Argentina:250 min (heavily cut) | Australia:248 min (heavily cut)

Country:

Italy | France | West Germany

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | Finland:K-18 (1976) | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (original rating) | USA:NC-17 (uncut version) (rating surrendered) | USA:Unrated (uncut version) | Canada:R | Norway:18 (DVD release) (2005) | West Germany:16 (video rating) (cut) | Germany:18 (uncut version) | New Zealand:R18 | France:-16 (uncut) | Hungary:18 | Italy:VM14 (part 1) | Italy:VM14 (part 2) | Portugal:M/16 (uncut) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Singapore:R21 (cut) | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Spain:18 | Finland:K-16 (1988)

Filming Locations:

Busseto, Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Company:

Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA)

Trivia:

The integral version of the film, the entire 5 hours and 20 minutes, was shown for the first time in 30 years in Belgrade, Serbia (ex-Yugoslavia), on April 12 2007.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie, Olmo is depicted as coming back from World War One, while Alfredo, even though conscripted, manages to stay at home thanks to his father's connections. In reality, people born in 1901 (like Olmo and Alfredo) were never conscripted to fight in the war, as they were only 17 when it ended in November 1918. The last ones to be conscripted in Italy where those born in 1899.

Quotes:

Leo Dalcò:Maybe the truth is that when a man does nothing all his life, it leaves him too much time to think. And thinking too much makes him... makes him stupid.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bertolucci secondo il cinema (1976) (TV)

Bernardo, Say Mini-Series

Novecento is the Gone With The Wind of Italian cinema with enough American stars and one French one to make sure of its international market. It has the epic feel of Gone With The Wind, you can also compare it to any number of films based on Edna Ferber novels. It begins at the beginning of the 20th century in Northern Italy with the birth of two boys on the same day. One is the grandson of the local Padrone, Burt Lancaster who grows up to be Robert DeNiro. The second is the illegitimate grandson of the head man among the workers on Lancaster's estate, Sterling Hayden and the boy grows up to be Gerard Depardieu. This had to be Northern Italy or no one would have believed Gerard's baby blues in Sicily or Calabria.

Despite the difference in class which Americans have trouble comprehending, but as Marlon Brando said in The Young Lions mean a great deal in Europe, the boys grow up to be friends. But it's not only politics that pushes them apart, it's the love of Dominique Sanda. She marries DeNiro, but he can't believe she's not get a yen for Depardieu.

Like Gone With The Wind with the Civil War and Reconstruction, Novecento is set in the period from 1900 to 1945 which were tumultuous years for Italy. Until 1870 Italy was a geographical expression not a country, until the Pope surrendered sovereignty of the Papal States. Like Germany which also united at the same time it now wanted to be recognized as a leading power, Italy even got into the colonial game in Africa. Unlike every other European power it met defeat at Adowa when trying to takeover Ethiopia. That too had a major impact on the Italian psyche, something Bernard Bertolucci curiously enough did not mention.

He concentrated on the age old grievances of peasants against the landlords and the internal problems it was bringing Italy. Abusive landlords and the peasants they controlled, a feudal system that was badly out of date in the industrial age which came to Italy, a bit late, but there in time to throw a lot of peasants off the land and make socialists and communists of them. The gentry, the growing middle class, the church responded in kind with its own counterrevolution, Fascism.

In fact the film's villain is Donald Sutherland as a Fascist overseer that DeNiro hires and who basically takes over running the estate and politics of the locality. This is one of Sutherland's best screen performances, he will chill you to the bone with his cruelty and arrogance. He's essentially a thug who's been given political power.

Running a close second is Laura Betti as DeNiro's sister who marries Sutherland and becomes a true believer in the Fascist cause. At least she sees the peasant discontent and believes Fascism will protect her privileged position.

The original running time of this epic is over five hours and really should have been a mini-series. Maybe in that format we'll see the director's cut some day. It's still a powerful piece of film telling the epic story of a country for almost half a century.