1900

Bernardo Bertolucci's 1900 (Novecento) is a monumental epic that chronicles the first half of the 20th century in Italy through the lifelong friendship and rivalry of two men born on the same day in 1901. Alfredo Berlinghieri (Robert De Niro) is the scion of a wealthy landowning family, while Olmo Dalcò (Gérard Depardieu) is the illegitimate son of a peasant woman working on the Berlinghieri estate. Their parallel lives serve as a microcosm for the larger socio-political upheavals of the nation, from the decline of feudalism to the rise of socialism and the subsequent darkness of Mussolini's fascism.

As the narrative unfolds over five hours, the film captures the shifting seasons of Italian history, moving from the idyllic childhood of the two boys to their divergent paths as adults. Olmo becomes a radical socialist leader for the workers, while Alfredo, though personally sympathetic to his friend, becomes a passive padrone who inadvertently enables the rise of fascist violence, personified by the sadistic estate manager Attila (Donald Sutherland). The film culminates in the chaotic liberation of 1945, where personal scores and historical injustices finally reach a fever pitch of reckoning.

The core meaning of 1900 is the inescapable nature of class identity and the cyclic struggle of history. Bertolucci uses the friendship between Alfredo and Olmo to argue that individuals are primarily archetypes of their social class, trapped in a dialectical conflict that transcends personal affection. The film suggests that while political regimes may fall, the fundamental tension between the 'master' and the 'slave' remains a permanent fixture of human society. Ultimately, it is a 'people's epic' that attempts to forge a collective memory for the Italian peasantry, romanticizing the struggle for revolution while acknowledging the enduring persistence of power structures.

One prevalent interpretation of the ending—where the elderly Alfredo and Olmo scuffle in the dirt—suggests that the revolution was ultimately performative. While the 'padrone' is declared dead, the class system persists in a new form, and the two men are doomed to repeat their conflict for eternity. Another reading posits that the film is actually more about psychoanalysis than politics, with the characters representing different facets of Bertolucci's own internal struggle between his bourgeois upbringing and his Marxist ideals. Some critics also argue that the character of Attila is not a realistic depiction of a fascist, but a psychological manifestation of 'pure evil' meant to heighten the film's mythic qualities.

1900 remains a seminal work in the 'historical epic' genre, known for its uncompromising Marxist perspective and visual grandeur. It represents a peak of 1970s 'prestige' filmmaking where international Hollywood stars like De Niro and Lancaster were cast in explicitly radical European art house cinema. Its use of the 'Il Quarto Stato' painting popularized the image globally as a symbol of labor rights. However, its reception was highly polarized; while some hailed it as a masterpiece of socialist realism, others like Roger Ebert criticized it as 'a film out of control.' Despite the controversy, it remains a vital document of Italian collective memory and a masterclass in Vittorio Storaro's cinematography.

Audience and critical reaction was deeply divided. Fans of the film praise its 'visual opulence' and Ennio Morricone's haunting score, viewing it as a poetic triumph. Conversely, critics often attack the film for being 'bloated,' 'simplistic,' and 'didactic,' specifically noting that the characters sometimes feel like ciphers for political ideas rather than real people. The explicit sexual and violent scenes, including those involving animals and children, remain controversial and continue to spark debate about the limits of artistic expression in political cinema.