The Dreamers

Title: The Dreamers
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Drama, Romance
Starring: Michael Pitt, Eva Green

“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.’”

Directed by Bertolucci, possibly one of the few remaining directors who still treat film as an art form, and where better for an artist to explore than set against the background of the French Film Revolution in the late 1960’s. Following the story of an American tourist and his relationship with siblings Isabelle and Theo, I would be hesitant to call this a romantic film. Indeed there are romantic elements, but this is far from your standard ‘boy meets girl’ story, this succeeds in exploring the depths of a relationship between individuals that transcends stereotyped scenario’s of love, exploring everything from incest - the siblings so intertwined with one another, they feel and think as one - to the fragile nature of friendship.

Everything about this piece has been carefully calculated. The script written by the same man who wrote the book of the same name, the dialogue may not come thick and fast but each word is carefully chosen for effect, frequently causing the viewer to think beyond what is said, to form personal opinions on the subject matter. Every camera angle is shot with an artistic beauty in mind (never before have I seen a single shot speak about a characters personality so much as the first time we see Isabelle), unparalleled in their consideration, each one could be dissected and studied at length.

The characters are – at least on the surface – simplistic, making them believable. But beyond the surface lies unwritten tension, each character harbouring secrets in their imperfection; Theo, detached from the world with dreams of revolution, Isabelle, fearful and ashamed of her relationships, and Matthew, the film student through whom we watch as he explores his newly found kinship. Many attempt to pass this film off as a bad softcore porn film, but whilst the nudity is frequently gratuitous – both male and female – it is never done in a seemingly erotic or unnatural manner, instead displaying their openness towards another.

This is a film that requires thought, it requires awareness of the tiniest of details to fully comprehend, and it is this that gives it such impact, each viewing allowing the discovery of a new detail. This is one of the last bastions of truly presenting film in an artistic manner, like a painting to be admired and contemplated, it will either reel you in and send your head spinning with thoughts, or it will go over your head.