The Dreamers
dir. Bernardo Bertolucci · 2003
Exploring the boundaries of desire and innocence reveals the complexities of human connection and the inevitable clash with reality.
"The Dreamers" immerses viewers in a lush, sensual exploration of youth, love, and political awakening against the backdrop of 1968 Paris. With its intoxicating blend of romance and nostalgia, this film invites you to lose yourself in the complexities of desire and the bittersweet passage from innocence to experience.
Paris, spring 1968. While most students take the lead in the May 'revolution', a French poet's twin son Theo and daughter Isabelle enjoy the good life in his grand Paris home. As film buffs they meet and 'adopt' modest, conservatively educated Californian student Matthew. With their parents away for a month, they drag him into an orgy of indulgence of all senses, losing all of his and the last of their innocence. A sexual threesome shakes their rapport, yet only the outside reality will break it up.
Talking points
- the impact of political context on personal relationships
- the nature of sexual exploration and consent
- the role of cinema in shaping identity
- sibling dynamics and rivalry
