Cinema Sex Politics: Bertolucci Makes 'The Dreamers' Page #3

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the Cinmathque, just in case.

- Okay.

- Don't take too long.

Don't worry, I won't.

I don't have much stuff.

With us, you're not

going to need much.

Okay.

Oh, just don't forget

your toothbrush!

Okay.

"Dear Mom, I guess you're surprised

to be hearing from me...

"so soon after my last letter.

"But I've just moved out of my hotel

and into an apartment...

"belonging to a famous

French author...

"whose children are the same age as me

and have the same interests.

"I know how pleased you'll be to hear I'm

getting in with the right kind of people.

Say hello to Father.

I hope he's not still mad at me."

Listen to this, Matthew

"The difference between

Keaton and Chaplin...

"is the difference

between prose and poetry...

"between the aristocrat

and the tramp...

"between eccentricity

and mysticism...

between man as a machine

and man as animal."

Not bad, huh?

That's good. Except for me,

there's no comparison.

Why? 'Cause Chaplin's

incomparable?

No. Because Keaton

is incomparable.

Keaton? You think Keaton's

greater than Chaplin?

- Absolutely I do.

- Oh, you're not serious.

- Of course I am.

- You're crazy.

Come on. In the first place, you can't

deny that Keaton's funnier than Chaplin.

- Yes, I can.

- You don't think that Keaton

is funnier than Chaplin?

- I don't think anyone's funnier than Chaplin.

- Keaton is!

Even when he's not doing anything,

he's funny And he looks like Godard.

Keaton is a real filmmaker.

Chaplin, all he cares about

is his own performance...

- his own ego.

- That's bullshit.

- It's not bullshit.

- Yes, it is. Sometimes I think,

You Americans understand f***-all

about your own culture.

- No wonder you never got

the point of Jerry Lewis.

- Don't even get me started!

Listen, when Chaplin wanted

to have a beautiful shot, he knew how.

Better than Keaton,

better than anybody.

You remember the last shot

of City Lights?

He looks at the flower girl,

she looks at him...

and don't forget,

she'd been blind...

so she was seeing him

for the very first time.

It's as if, through her eyes,

we also see him for the very first time.

Charlie Chaplin, Charlot,

the most famous man in the world...

and it's as if we've never

really seen him before.

Isa, if you play that f***ing record again,

I'll break it in two, okay?

But you like Janis Joplin.

Stop it!

I said stop it, Isabelle!

Stop!

- Tell me, what film?

- Wha-What?

Name a film--

Let go!

Name a film where someone

tap dancing drives someone else crazy!

- Oh, I know this!

- Come on! Quick! Quick!

Top Hat! Top Hat!

Fred Astaire's dancing over

Ginger Rogers's room.

And she's mad because he wakes her up.

I'm right.

He's good.

You know what I'm thinking?

What?

"Bande part"

You're right.

Why are you two

looking at me like that?

Well, you see,

my little Matthew...

there's something Theo and I have

been meaning to do for a long time...

but we've been waiting

for the right person to do it with.

- And I think you're finally it!

- To do what?

Try to beat the record

of Bande part.

- What record?

- You've seen Bande part, haven't you?

- Yeah.

- Remember the scene where

the three race through the Louvre?

- Uh, vaguely Remind me.

- They try to beat the world record...

- of 9 minutes and 45 seconds.

- Oh, yeah! Of course.

We're going to beat

their record.

Uh, oh.

- What?

- What's the matter?

- Nothing, really, I'm--

- Not afraid, are you?

- No. I'm not afraid.

- What, then?

It's easy for you two. I'm an American,

what you French call an alien.

- So?

- So if I get caught, I get deported.

Well, don't worry, little man,

we're not going to get caught.

- Yeah you don't know that.

- They weren't caught in "Bande part".

- And if we beat their record--

- It's a movie!

- Go get Papa's stopwatch.

- It's a great idea, but--

Matthew, this is a test.

Are you going to pass it

or fail it?

Be careful. A lot depends

on how you answer.

He! Non! Arretez!

Nine minutes and 28 seconds.

We beat the record

by 17 seconds!

Matthew!

My little Matthew!

You were wonderful!

- We accept him. One of us!

- One of us!

We accept him, one of us!

We accept him, one of us!

We accept her,

we accept her.

Gooble, gobble.

Gooble, gobble.

- We accept him, one of us!

- One of us!

Hey!

Theo. Isabelle.

Theo.

Hey!

- We accept you, one of us!

- One of us! One of us!-

One of us! One of us!

That's Mama.

I'm too wet to answer.

Isa's smart, but she doesn't

know how to deal with parents.

- What do you mean?

- I mean, it's not enough to ignore them.

They should all be arrested...

put on trial,

confess their crimes...

sent to the country

for self-criticism...

and reeducation!

- They're already in the country.

- They are at the seaside.

That's different.

Allo. Allo?

Too bad.

My parents never go anywhere.

At least you have

the house to yourselves.

Where are you going?

Uh, I gotta get

out of these clothes.

It'll be cold in your room.

Come into mine.

Okay.

You can wear this.

Thanks.

I'm going to get a Coca.

You want one?

Okay.

- Matthew!

- Yeah!

- Just open the door. My hands are full.

- Just a second.

- Why didn't you open the door?

- I was--

I was dressing.

What film?

In what film does a chorus line

dance like this...

with a singer in a fur coat?

- I've seen this film?

- We saw it together.

- We did? Give me a clue.

- Certainly not.

- Come on. Be a sport. Director's name.

- No.

Number of words in the title.

- I said no. Non!

- Isabelle!

- The first letter of the first word.

- God! You're pathetic

Isn't he pathetic, Matthew?

Don't you think he's pathetic?

- Matthew, I bet you know.

- Don't you dare help him.

Did the Sphinx

give Oedipus a clue?

F*** you.

Give up?

Yeah.

- Blonde Venus. Marlene Dietrich. 1932.

- Sh*t.

I knew that.

- Forfeit.

- If you insist.

I dare you to do now...

in front of us...

what I've watched you do...

in front of her.

Who?

I don't know

what you're talking about.

Oh, yes, you do, my pet.

- Forfeit.

What a b*tch you are.

A b*tch and a sadist.

Are you going to pay

the forfeit or not?

Very well.

Mm-mm-mm. I want you to do it

the way you did it...

when you thought

no one was watching.

Let's have a drink.

I'll meet you downstairs.

- Matthew.

- Yes?

Yes.

Why don't you admit

you were thrilled?

Come on.

You can tell me.

What?

Weren't you just

a tiny bit excited?

- What is it exactly

you're trying to get me to say?

- Nothing, I asked you a question.

Well, I suppose you know

who you sound like.

- Who?

- Isabelle.

Why not?

She's my twin sister.

- You two are twins?

- Yes.

She'd be me if she were a man.

- That's crap. You're not identical.

- Yes, we are.

We're Siamese twins,

joined here.

You're a strange one, Theo.

Half an hour ago, I saw you look at her

as though you wanted to strangle her.

I did.

I don't understand you.

- Don't you have any brothers or sisters?

- I have two older sisters.

Didn't you ever

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