Bertolucci juxtaposes the visceral, real-world desire to tear down the old guard (the protests) with the aestheticized, passive desire of the cinephile (watching the world through a screen). The apartment becomes a theater, and the three leads become the actors in a tragic, erotic play.
Known for its explicit content, it was released in both an uncut NC-17 version and an R-rated version. Where to Watch the dreamers 2003 lk21
: The characters frequently reenact scenes from Godard and Truffaut films. Bertolucci juxtaposes the visceral