Bernardo Bertolucci‘s NC-17 masterpiece “The Dreamers” is receiving a 4K restoration re-release to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The film made history as the first Fox Searchlight NC-17 theatrical release in 2004, with then-president Peter Rice comparing “The Dreamers” to Bertolucci’s other infamously controversial film, “Last Tango in Paris.”
Bertolucci said at the time that “The Dreamers” being released stateside in its original cut was a relief, adding, “After all, an orgasm is better than a bomb.”
“The Dreamers” premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2003 and had its U.S. debut at Sundance 2004. Future Bond cast member Eva Green made her credited big screen debut (after a bit part in “The Piano Teacher”) with the erotic psychological drama following a trio of cinephile students in 1968 Paris during the riots. Michael Pitt and Louis Garrel co-starred alongside Green.
The newly-restored version of the feature does not yet have a U.S. release date, but will be available in the U.K. May 13. While director Bertolucci died in 2018 at age 77, “The Dreamers” restoration was completed by director of photography Fabio Cianchetti with Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna.
“The Dreamers” 4K UHD release is a two-disc special edition version that includes the original NC-17 cut and over three hours of bonus materials, including extensive featurettes on the making of the film and the real events that inspired the story. A commentary from Bertolucci, writer Gilbert Adair, and producer Jeremy Thomas is further included, as well as interviews with Bertolucci, Green, Pitt, Garrel, Adair, and Thomas alongside behind-the-scenes footage.
“The Dreamers” star Green reflected on her career and approach to acting in 2022, telling The A.V. Club that she refuses to be typecast in “darker” roles.
“Sometimes I get a bit upset when people put me in one box. ‘Dark’ — what does that mean, dark?” Green said. “I like to call [my type] more ‘complex,’ or as you said, we never know what it looks like, what’s behind, those secrets and stuff. That’s more interesting.”
She added while promoting indie thriller “Nocebo” at the time, “It’s more fun to do things like this than lots of wordy dialogue. Something with these extremes, you can let all your demons out. Even if it’s dark, it’s kind of jubilating, really…Horror is quite close to something jubilating. Fear gives you goosebumps, but joy as well. It’s fun, you know, it’s extreme stuff.”
Check out “The Dreamers” 4K restoration trailer below.
