1900 (1976)

The epic tale of a class struggle in twentieth century Italy, as seen through the eyes of two childhood friends on opposing sides.

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Franco Arcalli (screenplay by), Giuseppe Bertolucci (screenplay by)

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Gérard Depardieu, Dominique Sanda

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Set in Italy, the film follows the lives and interactions of two boys/men, one born a bastard of peasant stock (Depardieu), the other born to a land owner (de Niro). The drama spans from 1900 to about 1945, and focuses mainly on the rise of Fascism and the peasants' eventual reaction by supporting Communism, and how these events shape the destinies of the two main characters.

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Plot Keywords:

class struggle | epic | socialist | land owner | boy frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

Europe's most important, powerful and forceful motion picture ever...!

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

Italy France West Germany

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

4 November 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

1900

Filming Locations:

Busseto, Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Produzioni Europee Associate (PEA), Les Productions Artistes Associés, Artemis Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

245 min (heavily cut) (R-rated) 317 min (2 parts) 250 min (heavily cut) 248 min (heavily cut) 162 min (Part I) 154 min (Part II)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bernardo Bertolucci stated that in an interview, he filmed the scenes of the movie based on the four seasons. If you notice, the meeting of the boys is summer, the adult reunion of Alfredo and Olmo takes place in a fall moment. The Fascist takeover is winter, while the end of World War II is spring.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Ada Fiastri Paulhan: [Ada is drinking excessively in a small pub] Merry Christmas.
Alfredo Berlinghieri: [Knocks her drink out her hand] You know how long I've been looking for you?
Ada Fiastri Paulhan: Signora Berlinghieri can no longer drink at home because the wine is locked away. She can no longer drink is smart cafes because her husband has given orders against it. So she drinks in taverns.
Alfredo Berlinghieri: [Quiet but furious] I'm going to have you locked up in an asylum.
Ada Fiastri Paulhan: [Crawls under the table] I can drink here! I can even fall under the table. Nobody sees me anyway.
Alfredo Berlinghieri: Get...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

Among a dozen or so scenes that were extended in "versione integrale", there are a number of new scenes featuring:

• Longer shot of the boy dying in the very beginning
• Berlinghieri digging the wine out of the cellar before serving it to the peasants
• After Elma tells everyone of Berlinghieri's suicide, the crowd rejoices and dances
• The first scene with Attila is extended into a speech
• Graphic scenes of the mutilation of pigs is extended
• After Regina taunts Ada with keys to the wine, Ada pours wine over Regina's head
• Olmo's closing speech is longer

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Connections

Referenced in There's Nothing Out There (1991)

User Reviews

Watching 1900 is like walking through Italy...

Watching 1900 is like walking through Italy, even more so because of the movie's length. However, this is one beautiful film with wonderful performances and great cinematography. The story is both complex and rich with detail and the characters are superbly drawn. 1900 is one of the director's finest works, more symphonic in nature than most films, and deserves a wider audience. Movie buffs will enjoy seeing some rather unique performances by Robert De Niro, Sterling Hayden, and Burt Lancaster.