The Dreamers (2003)

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Gilbert Adair (novel)
Gilbert Adair (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 October 2003 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance

Plot:

A young American studying in Paris in 1968 strikes up a friendship with a French brother and sister. Set against the background of the '68 Paris student riots.

Plot Keywords:

French | 1968 | Riot | Friendship | Sadism

Awards:

8 nominations

Cast

Michael Pitt	...	Matthew
Eva Green	...	Isabelle
Louis Garrel	...	Theo
Anna Chancellor	...	Mother
Robin Renucci	...	Father
Jean-Pierre Kalfon	...	Himself
Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Himself (as Jean-Paul Leaud)
Florian Cadiou	...	Patrick
Pierre Hancisse	...	First Buff
Valentin Merlet	...	Second Buff
Lola Peploe	...	The Usherette
Ingy Fillion	...	Theo's Girlfriend
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean-Paul Belmondo	...	Himself (uncredited) (archive footage)
Aleksandra Kacprzak	...	Student May 68 (uncredited)
Henri Langlois	...	Himself (uncredited) (archive footage)
François Truffaut	...	Himself (uncredited) (archive footage)

Directed by
Bernardo Bertolucci

Writing credits
Gilbert Adair		(novel)
Gilbert Adair		(screenplay)

Produced by
Hercules Bellville	....	associate producer
John Bernard	....	co-producer
Jeremy Thomas	....	producer
Peter Watson	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Fabio Cianchetti		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jacopo Quadri

Casting by
Lucy Boulting
Howard Feuer
Juliette Ménager		(as Juliette Menager)

Production Design by
Jean Rabasse

Art Direction by
Pierre Duboisberranger		(as Du Boisberranger)

Costume Design by
Louise Stjernsward

Makeup Department
Antoine Amador	....	additional hairdresser
Maria Dolores Avellanas	....	additional hairdresser (as Dolores Avellanas)
Gérard Carrissimoux	....	additional hairdresser (as Gerard Carrissimoux)
Michèle Decanini	....	additional hairdresser (as Michel Decanini)
Xavier-Daniel Fagnière	....	additional hairdresser (as Xavier-Daniel Fagniere)
Christophe Giraud	....	additional makeup artist
Giorgio Gregorini	....	hairdresser
Evelyne Larmaillard	....	additional makeup artist
Christian Morales	....	additional hairdresser
Régine Navaro	....	additional makeup artist (as Regine Navaro)
Thi-Loan Nguyen	....	makeup supervisor (as Thi Loan Nguyen)
Thi Thanh Tu Nguyen	....	makeup artist
Anouk Oechslin	....	additional makeup artist
Magali Ohlmann	....	additional makeup artist
Danielle Palmier	....	additional makeup artist
Rosa Perez	....	additional hairdresser
Patricia Planche	....	additional makeup artist
Aldo Signoretti	....	hair supervisor
Jérôme Ventura	....	additional hairdresser (as Jerome Ventura)

Production Management
Frederick Bovis	....	production manager
Michael Saxton	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eric Bartonio	....	co-first assistant director
Serena Canevari	....	first assistant director (as Serena Canevari Merlini)
Henrique Laplaine	....	second assistant director
Lola Peploe	....	third assistant director
Alexandre Schmitt	....	co-second assistant director

Art Department
Denis Adelet	....	swing gang
Bertrand Alberge	....	swing gang
Philippe Auclaire	....	construction manager
Valerie Berthoux	....	model maker
François Billy	....	carpenter (as Francois Billy)
Jean-Jacques Blanlot	....	carpenter
Luc Bonjus	....	construction crew
Camille Bougon-Pigneul	....	prop buyer
Sylvain Bourdier	....	swing gang
Thomas Broyon	....	swing gang
Sylvain Cabouat	....	additional art department trainee
Stéphane Cerdan	....	swing gang (as Stephane Cerdan)
Jean-Michel Chartier	....	carpenter
Ambroise Cheneau	....	construction crew
Bernard Coispel	....	carpenter
Didier Copp	....	painter
Claire Coutelle	....	painter
Christian David	....	carpenter
Olivier Delpy	....	carpenter
Benjamin Descave	....	carpenter
Marie Desforge	....	painter
Vincent Deslandes	....	painter
Julien Draper	....	additional art department trainee
Xavier Dubech	....	carpenter
Catia El'Haji Tiamiou	....	draper (as Catia Tiamiou El Hadj)
Olivier Fermier	....	construction crew
Dominique Filliatreau	....	carpenter
Yvon Fremy	....	head carpenter
Alain Frentzel	....	lead head painter
Christian Giambasi	....	painter (as Christian Giambiasi)
Florence Girette	....	painter
Francis Guibet	....	prop buyer
Michel Guillou	....	carpenter
Fabienne Haertling	....	assistant set dresser
Peter Hammond	....	stand-by painter
Philippe Harlez	....	assistant art director
Yann Haugomat	....	dressing props
Jérôme Hayot	....	painter (as Jerome Hayot)
Hugues Herve	....	carpenter
Paul Hugel	....	additional art department trainee
Benedicte Joffre	....	draper
Antar Khelifaoui	....	construction crew
Jérôme Krowicki	....	construction crew (as Jerome Krowicki)
Marie Lambert	....	art department trainee
Alain Lavit	....	construction crew
Philippe Legrand	....	carpenter
Stephanie Lelu	....	art department trainee
Arnaud Le Roch	....	assistant art director (as Laurent Roch-Arnaud)
Eric Levavasseur	....	carpenter
Christelle Maisonneuve	....	prop buyer
Christophe Marchandet	....	plasterer
Vincent Maroutian	....	head painter
Loïc Masse	....	carpenter (as Loic Masse)
Régis Mayot	....	construction crew (as Regis Mayot)
Laurent Micheletti	....	painter
Franck Miniconi	....	stand-by painter
Guy-Michel Morin	....	painter (as Guy Michel Morin)
Manuel Mougin	....	stand-by props
Max Paget	....	wood machinist
Stephane Paillard	....	carpenter
Francois Pascal-Mousselard	....	swing gang
Sébastien Perrenoud	....	construction crew (as Sebastien Perrenoud)
Jérôme Perrin	....	carpenter (as Jerome Perrin)
Marie Predieri	....	painter
Georges Rigot	....	carpenter
Michel Risse	....	carpenter
Ivan Robles Lopez	....	additional art department trainee
Thomas Rollin	....	construction crew
Nathalie Roubaud	....	assistant art director
Franck Scala	....	head wood machinist
Samuel Teisseire	....	assistant stand-by props
Eric Viellerobe	....	set dresser
Jean-Noël Vincencini	....	swing gang (as Jean-Noel Vincencini)
Sylvie Weidmann-Chancelade	....	sculptor
Michel Weidmann	....	sculptor

Sound Department
Timotey Alazraki	....	cable person (as Timothee Alazraki)
Mark Auguste	....	supervising sound editor
Sam Auguste	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Burgis	....	foley artist
Ed Colyer	....	foley recordist (as Edward Colyer)
Andie Derrick	....	foley artist (as Andi Derrick)
Matthew Gough	....	sound re-recording mixer
Daniel Laurie	....	adr editor
Daniel Laurie	....	dialogue editor
Stephane Lioret	....	boom operator
Mike Prestwood Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ted Swanscott	....	adr recordist
Derek Trigg	....	foley editor
Stuart Wilson	....	sound mixer
Colin Cooper	....	adr recordist (uncredited)
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Anne Bergamaschi	....	special effects technician
Francois Bernard	....	special effects technician
Pascal Declercq	....	special effects technician
Grégoire Delage	....	special effects coordinator (as Gregoire Delage)
Franck Delamotte	....	special effects technician
Jacky Dufour	....	special effects technician
Denis Duplex	....	special effects technician
Pascal Fauvelle	....	special effects technician
Michel Gery	....	special effects technician
Daniel Lenoir	....	special effects technician
Jean Miel	....	special effects technician
Serge Perillat	....	special effects technician
Jean-Jacques Vassal	....	special effects technician
Olivier Zenenski	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Virginie Allal	....	visual effects production assistant
Stephanie Boutinaud	....	visual effects digital artist
Fabien Coupez	....	visual effects digital artist
Olivier Debert	....	visual effects digital artist
Joyce Menger	....	visual effects production
Morgan Varona	....	visual effects digital artist
Valerio Bonelli	....	visual effects editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Michel Anderson	....	stuntman
Rémi Canaple	....	stuntman (as Remi Canaple)
Alexandre Cauderlier	....	stuntman
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunt coordinator
Laurent Coin	....	stuntman
Jacques Cosma	....	stuntman
Yan Dron	....	stuntman (as Yaw Drow)
Alexandrine Felquin	....	stunt woman (as Alexandrine Felkin)
Pascaline Girardot	....	stunt woman
David Groleau	....	stuntman
Vincent Haquin	....	stuntman
Cyrille Hertel	....	stuntman
David Julienne	....	stuntman
Michel Julienne	....	stunt car coordinator
Mael Lamberton	....	stuntman
Emilie Lelouch	....	stunt woman
Gregory Loffredo	....	stuntman
John Medalin	....	stuntman
Pierre Medalin	....	stuntman
Jean-Loup Michon	....	stuntman (as Jean-Loup Michou)
Florent Mismetti	....	stuntman
Alain Pedouan	....	stuntman
Teddy Pividal	....	stuntman
Pierre Raveneau	....	stuntman
Catherine Robert	....	stunt woman
Sebastien Soudais	....	stuntman

Camera and Electrical Department
Luigi Andrei	....	Steadicam operator
Luigi Andrei	....	camera operator
Cecile Angelin	....	additional electrician
Laurent Audoire	....	technician: Hot Head
Lubomir Bakchev	....	additional electrician
Alessio Bastianelli	....	focus puller
Hamia Benyekkou	....	additional electrician (as Hamid Benyekkou)
Patrice Birzin	....	generator operator
Franck Boussenec	....	grip
Séverine Brigeot	....	still photographer (as Severine Brigeot)
Guillaume Brule	....	electrician
Raphaël Cauhepo-François	....	focus puller: second camera (as Raphael Cauhepo-Francois)
Roberto De Paolis	....	still photographer trainee (as Roberto Di Paolis)
Thibault de Saint André	....	additional electrician (as Thibault De Saint Andre)
Pierre Yves Dougnac	....	additional electrician
Eugène Fabcic	....	additional generator operator (as Eugene Fabcic)
Claudio Frollano	....	gaffer
Eugenio Galli	....	second camera operator
Simon Garnier	....	video operator
Christian Inizan	....	additional electrician
Pascal Jobert	....	additional grip (as Jean-Pascal Jobert)
Bruno Keller	....	electrician
Patrick Lemaire	....	additional generator operator
Antoine Lepoutre	....	additional electrician
Philippe Malleck	....	gaffer
Franck Maumis	....	additional electrician
Pierre Morel	....	camera operator: Super 16
Frédéric Mougin	....	technician: Hot Head (as Frederic Mougin)
Mathieu Petit	....	focus puller: Super 16
Jocelyn Poulin	....	additional electrician
Nicholas Quinn	....	camera operator: DVCAM camera
Marco Revello	....	key grip (as Marc Revello)
Marco Santarelli	....	key grip
Lilia Sellami	....	clapper loader
Sergio Simoes	....	additional electrician
Nick Quinn	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Bertrand Amiel	....	extras casting assistant
David Artur	....	extras casting assistant
Vanessa Baker	....	voice casting
Marie-Sylvie Caillierez	....	extras casting
Michel Delfiner	....	casting assistant
Brendan Donnison	....	voice casting
Benjamin Dumas	....	extras casting assistant
Hervé Gamondes	....	extras casting assistant
Sandrine Guilleux	....	extras casting assistant
Erik Jourdil	....	extras casting assistant
Antoine Laurent	....	extras casting assistant
Stephane Mathieu	....	extras casting assistant
Lofti Mokdad	....	extras casting assistant
Patrick Rufo	....	assistant to extras casting director
Sonia Trabelsi	....	extras casting assistant
Eleftherios Zacharopoulos	....	extras casting assistant
Yann Le Boucher	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandrine Alabre	....	additional dresser
Chloe Bartonio	....	dresser (as Chloe Chambarret-Bartonio)
Nathalie Cercuel	....	wardrobe supervisor: exteriors
Florence Clamond	....	extras dresser (as Florence Clamond-Vidal)
Chloé Degorce Dumas	....	additional dresser (as Chloe Degorce Dumas)
Natacha Diehl	....	additional dresser
Julie Greux	....	additional dresser
Simone Hoffmann	....	additional dresser
Sandrine Kerner	....	additional dresser
Marielle Robaut	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Marielle-Therese Robaut)
Karine Rouchy	....	additional dresser
Priscillia Van Sprengel	....	additional dresser
Sandrine Bernard	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Lucinda S. Agar	....	post-production coordinator
Valerio Bonelli	....	first assistant editor
Aline Hervé	....	co-first assistant editor (as Aline Herve)
Yvan Lucas	....	color grader
Fabien Pascal	....	color grader

Music Department
Julien Civange	....	music advisor
Janice Ginsberg	....	music supervisor
Nick Laird-Clowes	....	music consultant
Charles Henri de Pierrefeu	....	music advisor (as Charles Henri De Pierrefeu)

Transportation Department
Stéphane Floc'h	....	transportation captain (as Stephane Floc'h)
Mathieu Guez	....	driver: Michael Pitt
Christophe Paris	....	driver: director
Jalal Aqdim	....	assistant action vehicle coordinator (uncredited)
Charles Heidet	....	action vehicle coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Lucinda S. Agar	....	assistant to director
Matthew Baker	....	business affairs: Recorded Picture Company
Kaoutar Ben Aissa	....	additional location trainee
Gonzague Bernard	....	additional location trainee
Catherine Boizard	....	production assistant
Antoine Brice	....	additional location trainee
Flora Elisa Algeri Bricoli	....	film assistant
Gilles Castera	....	location manager
Mathilde Cathelin	....	floor runner
Randi Chugerman	....	assistant: Howard Feuer
Frederic Collomb	....	additional location trainee
Stuart Cook	....	accountant: UK
Neal Cooper	....	additional dialogue coach
Ginger Corbett	....	international publicity: Premier
Alan Coric	....	cashier
Antonin Depardieu	....	location scout
Andrea De Sica	....	set runner
Corinne Devaux	....	choreographer
Fabrice Devevre	....	floor runner
Gaetan Dinon	....	location trainee
Alain Dominiecki	....	accountant
Suzanne Durrenberger	....	script supervisor
Antonio Etzi	....	personal assistant to director
Franco Fantini	....	accountant: Italy
Ingy Fillion	....	additional location trainee
Florence Forney	....	production coordinator
Samuel Fuller	....	director: Shock Corridor (1963 ) (as Sam Fuller)
Fabien Gerard	....	assistant script supervisor
Marco Giacalone	....	assistant location manager
Philippe Girardeau	....	assistant location manager
Constantine Gregory	....	dialogue coach
Jean-Louise Grousset	....	caterer: Locafete (as Jean-Louis Grousset)
Roberto Guerra	....	archive material provider
Jocelyn Jones	....	assistant to producer
Arnaud Kaiser	....	additional location trainee
Veronique Lambert de Guise	....	stock footage researcher (as Veronique Lambert De Guise)
Florence Larsonneur	....	business affairs: Recorded Picture Company
Vincent Lefeuvre	....	office production assistant
Stephan Mallmann	....	business affairs: Recorded Picture Company
Chantal Malrat	....	financial controller (as Chantal Malrat Atanassian)
Virginie Marchesseau	....	location trainee
Benjamin Morand	....	additional location trainee
Richard Morrison	....	title sequence
Jessica Palud	....	additional location trainee
Pier Francesco Paredes Choto	....	floor runner
Samuel Renollet	....	additional video operator
Melanie Robot	....	location trainee
Laurent Sarazin	....	additional location trainee
Jeanine Sculier	....	nurse (as Janine Scolier)
John Shearlaw	....	archival film researcher
Robyn Smith	....	special license: Mr. Fred Astaire's appearance (as Mrs. Fred Astaire)
Jean-Pierre Vincent	....	unit publicist: France
Josef von Sternberg	....	director: Blonde Venus (1932 ) (as Joseph Von Sternberg)
Kalinka Weiler	....	location scout (as Kalinka Carrasco)
Julia Willis	....	business affairs: Recorded Picture Company
Thierry Zemmour	....	assistant location manager
Chris Paton	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Thanks
Monsieur Andriot	....	thanks: Service Navigation de la Seine
Brigitte Brauner	....	thanks: Marie de Paris (as Madame Brigitte Brauner)
Robert Bresson	....	acknowledgment: director of Mouchette (1967 )
Tod Browning	....	acknowledgment: director of "Freaks" (1932 )
Charles Chaplin	....	acknowledgment: director of "City Lights" (1931 )
J.C. Decaux	....	thanks
Vittorio De Sanctis	....	special thanks
Gillian Duffield	....	special thanks
Frédéric Dupuch	....	thanks: Prefecture de Police de Paris (as Monsieur Le Commissaire Dupuch)
Gabrielle Fastman	....	special thanks
Samuel Fuller	....	acknowledgment: director of Shock Corridor (1963 ) (as Sam Fuller)
Jean-Luc Godard	....	acknowledgment: director of À bout de souffle (1960 and Bande à part (1964))
Antony Gostyn	....	special thanks
Roberto Guerra	....	acknowledgment: director of Henri Langlois (1970 )
Howard Hawks	....	acknowledgment: director of "Scarface" (1932 )
Elia Hershon	....	acknowledgment: director of Henri Langlois (1970 )
Robin Hilton	....	special thanks
Monsieur Hurtrel	....	thanks: Prefecture de Police de Paris
Buster Keaton	....	acknowledgment: director of "The Cameraman" (1928 )
Marie-José Lambert	....	thanks: Marie de Paris (as Mademoiselle Marie-José Lambert)
Carol Levi	....	special thanks
Rouben Mamoulian	....	acknowledgment: director of Queen Christina (1933 )
Madame Martial	....	thanks: Ecole de Medecine - Universite Paris
Monique Plantade	....	thanks: Direction de la Voirie et des Deplacements (as Mademoiselle Monique Plantade)
Roberto Rinalduzzi	....	special thanks
Mark Sandrich	....	acknowledgment: director of Top Hat (1935 )
Michael Simkins	....	special thanks
Alexandra Stone	....	special thanks
Frank Tashlin	....	acknowledgment: director of "The Girl Can't Help It" (1956 )
Christian Valsamidis	....	special thanks
Josef von Sternberg	....	acknowledgment: director of Blonde Venus (1932 ) (as Joseph Von Sternberg)

Production Companies

• Recorded Picture Company (RPC)
• Peninsula Films
• Fiction Films

Distributors

• HanWay Films (2003) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2003) (USA) (theatrical) (A News Corporation Company)
• Golden Village (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Herald Film Company (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2004) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Kulturföreningen Kedjan (2004) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Medusa Distribuzione (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Pyramid (200?) (Russia) (theatrical)
• TFM Distribution (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Triangelfilm (2004) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD) (NC-17 version)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD) (R-rated version)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (VHS) (NC-17 version)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (VHS) (R-rated version)
• 20th Century Fox Television (200?) (USA) (TV)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Concorde Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Éclair Numérique (visual effects)

Other Companies

• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  insurance (as AON/Albert G. Ruben)
• Action Film Services  camera car
• Andros  thank you
• Argos Films  film footage: "Mouchette (1967)" courtesy of
• Ben Barry and Associates  film footage: "Shock Corridor (1963)" courtesy of (as Ben Barry & Associates)
• Bic  thank you
• CQF Doc  thank you
• Cabinet D'Assurances  insurance
• Chriscar  caravans
• Cinémathèque Française  thank you
• Coca-Cola Company, The  thank you (as Coca Cola)
• De Lane Lea  sound post-production
• Dexia Banque International  production financing provided by
• Directions de la Voirie et des Deplacements  thank you
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production (uncredited)
• Eurocom  sound supplies
• Evian  thank you
• Film Finance  completion bond
• Film Finances France  completion bond
• Film Media Consultant  thank you
• Fintage House  collection account management
• Galerie Scandinave, La  thank you
• Gaumont  film footage: "Bande à part (1964)" courtesy of
• Gearbox Sound and Vision  additional Avid systems supplied by (uncredited)
• Golden Square Post Production Ltd.  title sequence post
• Houles  thank you
• Ilio Signora  thank you
• Institut National de l'Audiovisuel (INA)  archive material
• Institut des Archives Sonores  archive material
• Isle of Jura  thank you
• Joule Studio  casting: Paris
• Kodak  film stock
• Les Productions de la Lanterne  archive material
• Locafête  catering
• MK2 Diffusion  film footage: "City Lights (1931)" courtesy of (as MK2)
• Mairie de Paris  thank you
• Maratier  costumes and arms
• Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin  stills: "Der Blaue Engel (1930)" courtesy of (as Marlene Dietrich Collection)
• Montage Films Thauvin  negative cutting (as Thauvim)
• Musée du Louvre, Paris  thanks (as Musee Du Louvre)
• Nettwerk Records  soundtrack (uncredited)
• Panavision Alga  camera equipment (as Panavision Alga Paris)
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Pathé Archives  archive material
• Perfect Technologies  avid system
• Polly Concept  thank you
• Prefecture De Police De Paris  thank you
• Premier PR  international publicity (as Premier)
• Pretty Pictures  film footage: "À bout de souffle (1960)" courtesy of
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne  developed with the support of
• Punto e Virgola  casting: Italy
• R.A.T.P.-Thèotème 51  thank you (as R.A.T.P. - Totheme 51)
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Service Navigation de la Seine  thank you
• Taylor Levrat  insurance
• Transpalux  lighting and grip equipment
• Transpalux  technical vehicles
• Turner Entertainment  film footage: "Freaks (1932)", "The Cameraman (1928)", "Queen Christina (1933)" and "Top Hat (1935)" courtesy of (as Turner Entertainment Co.)
• Twentieth Century Fox  film footage: "The Girl Can't Help It (1956)" courtesy of
• Universal Studios Licensing  film footage: "Blonde Venus (1932)" and "Scarface (1932)" courtesy of
• Universite Paris - Ecole de Medecine  thank you
• Voiturium, Le  action vehicles

Also Known As:

Innocents (France)
Paris '68 (UK) (working title)
The dreamers - I sognatori (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for explicit sexual content.; Rated R for strong sexual content and graphic nudity, language and some drug use. (edited version)

Runtime:

115 min | USA:112 min (R-rated version)

Country:

France | UK | Italy

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Peru:18 | Taiwan:R-18 | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Canada:R (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Hungary:18 | Israel:18 | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Brazil:16 | Canada:16+ (Québec) | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-18 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:R (cut)

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Recorded Picture Company (RPC)

Trivia:

The film was made carbon-neutral by offsetting its emissions - the Carbon Neutral logo is visible on the poster and DVD cover. It is probably the first carbon-neutral film to have been made.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: At the end of the movie, Theo and Isabel's parents come back to the house and start to whisper to each other in perfect English instead of French. However, as Theo and Isabel's mother is English, it should not be surprising that they would converse in English (Isabel herself tells it to Matthew when he tells her how good her English is when they first met).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Matthew: The first time I saw a movie at the cinématèque française I thought, "Only the French... only the French would house a cinema inside a palace."

Movie Connections:

References Top Hat (1935)

Soundtrack:

Queen Jane Approximately

Sex, Cinema, Politics - A True Molotov Cocktail

The decor for The Dreamers, Bertolucci's sensual and narcotic film is represented by effervescent moments that took place in Paris in 1968. In the same manner in which the house inhabited by the three main protagonists represents a character, so do the Parisian streets, with their trepidation and demonstrations. Contrary to other films directed by this director - who has promised much and delivered even more throughout his career - The Dreamers opens in a fast-paced and provocative manner. The director establishes the cinematic convention precisely, eloquently, and elegantly. It becomes clear that the film deals with furious and beautiful young people who live through the films they devour. In the first five minutes, the heroine of the picture (played impeccably by Eva Green, a theatre actress reminiscent of Isabella Rossellini) announces that she was born in 1959. Logically, it is impossible, seeing that the year is 1968 and she seems to be at least 19 years old. Therefore, she explains further: 1959, Champs-Elysee, where she yelled "New York Herald Tribune!" Suddenly the film cuts to a scene from the classic Breathless (A bout de soufflé) by Godard, where Belmondo's feminine partner sells American newspapers on Champs-Elysee. Consequently, Bertolucci's feminine character believes that she has not been alive until seeing the afore-mentioned film, considered by many the beginning of the New Wave. The idea of interposing images and references to classic films is augmented in The Dreamers. It becomes a means of communication between the characters and in fact it ignites the entire "action" of the film.

As in The Last Tango in Paris or Stealing Beauty, sex and sensuality also represent means of expression on which the director relies heavily. Yet The Dreamers rejects the desperation of The Last Tango through a seductive irreverence that indeed characterizes the so-called "enfants terrible" of 1968 Paris. It should be noted that The Dreamers contains various sexual and nude scenes, but that these are by no means as shocking as the sex scenes in The Last Tango were, when that film was released in the 1960s. Since then, video and Internet pornography have occurred and shocking audiences through nudity has become something of a moot point. It is only the MPAA that hasn't grown up. It gave The Dreamers basically the same rating that The Last Tango got, 30 years ago.

Undoubtedly, the angles of the shots in The Dreamers are what impresses the most. As in other films by Bertolucci, practically every shot could be cut out and studied hours at an end for its elegance. The three main characters (all played beyond reproach) live their menage-a-trois through concrete gestures and attitudes, as well as through emotions that are suggested by the sublime cinematography.

The ending of the film, considered by some critics a weak point, is in fact quite accomplished. American viewers (including some critics) are used to American films, in which the build-up leading to the climax is essentially dynamic, suspenseful or tragic. But the European cinema is different. It often shows how feelings are condensed in a quiet but explosive mixture. This description fits The Dreamers like a glove.

Finally, a note for film buffs. In the initial scenes, at the demonstration in front of the Cinematheque, Bertolucci used news reel footage from the '60s with Jean-Pierre Leaud si Jean-Pierre Kalfon (known actors of the New Wave). They are seen giving speeches and throwing paper leaflets to the crowd. In 2003, when shooting the film, Bertolucci got Leaud and Kalfon, now aged, to "reenact" the images from the news reels. The end result is a mixture of new and old images, the former in color, the latter black and white. It is such tricks that Bertolucci uses throughout this nostalgic film that celebrates a certain period, during which the young generation had more meaningful things to fight than computer-simulated monsters.