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I was seduced by the nouvelle vague, because it was really reinventing everything. And the Italian cinema that one would see in the theaters in the late ’50s, early ’60s was Italian comedy, Italian style, which, to me, was like the end of neo-realism.

Bernardo Bertolucci

A name? Oh, Jesus Christ. Ah, God, I’ve been called by a million names all my life. I don’t want a name. I’m better off with a grunt or a groan for a name.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Better Jesus Life Million Names Self
I like to be in a huis clos, as the French say – in one place. It’s something that in general can create a bit of claustrophobia. But for me, claustrophobia becomes almost immediately claustrophilia. I love it!
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Bits Claustrophobia Country Immediately Something
As a loyal believer in the Auteur Theory I first felt editing was but the logical consequence of the way in which one shoots. But, what I learned is that it is actually another writing.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Consequences Editing Loyal Shoot Writing
Sometimes you are in sync with the times, sometimes you are in advance, sometimes you are late.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Late Message Sometimes Sync
The most important thing of all, the thing that lasted, was the first feminist movement and the position of women in society. That completely changed and that was very, very important.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Changed Feminist Important Society Thing Women
Commuting in a wheelchair is not easy. I live in a very old part of Rome. These cobbles everywhere… terrible! In London, it is the same. Every pavement is uneven.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Cobbles Country Easy Everywhere Pavement
I don’t film messages. I let the post office take care of those.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Care Message Office
Every film I have made has corresponded to a very special moment of my life. I like to think that if someone wanted to reconstruct the story of my life, they can just see my movies and know what I have been through.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Life Reconstruct Someone Special Stories Thinking
You live day by day. You can’t build your life.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Build Day Life Live
I’m no longer interested in making political films. There’s something old-fashioned about them.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

People Political Reality
A monoculture is not only Hollywood, but Americans trying to export democracy.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Democracy Hollywood Trying
I think that what I learned then, I didn’t know I was learning. I just knew that I was very privileged to see somebody who was a writer, a great poet, and very smart-faced. Suddenly Pasolini becomes a director, so he has to invent cinema.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Character Learning Privilege Reality Thinking
I don’t see my movies. I think it’s healthier and safer to keep a bit of distance. I’m afraid to be disappointed.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Disappointed Distance Thinking
The problem in Hollywood is that they try to become the only kind of cinema in the world, okay?
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Cinema Hollywood Only Past Trying Unique
What happened in the late Fifties, early Sixties in French cinema was a fantastic revolution.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Cinema Director Dreamers Revolution
Having no children had been a kind of choice up to the moment when, from a choice, it became a sadness.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Children Choices Kind Sadness
To explore technology for me is something that I have to do. Otherwise, I feel completely left in the back… abandoned.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Abandoned Feels Technology
I think that I used to love Hollywood movies. I remember great phases and moments. But, unfortunately, now is not the moment.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Hollywood Phases Thinking
Pornography is not in the hands of the child who discovers his sexuality by masturbating, but in the heart of the adult who slaps him.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Adult Children Hands Hearts Masturbating
I think cinema all over the world was influenced by it, which was Italy finding its freedom at the end of fascism, the end of the Nazi invasion. It was a kind of incredible energy. Then, late ’50s, early ’60s, the neo-realism lost its great energy and became comedy.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Cinema End Fascism Incredible Influence Kind
The life before ’68 was very different from the life after ’68. Before ’68, our days were full of authoritarian moments. There were authorities everywhere. In fact, the movement of ’68 was young people against their authorities, children against their parents. And that remained.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Authoritarian Children Feminist Moments People
I think that Hollywood should also be influenced by directors from Hong Kong. You see how Quentin Tarantino is really the example of how you can develop, and how you can go ahead if you accept the existence of different cinematic cultures.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Ahead Culture Develo Example Interesting Thinking
There you have Quentin playing with kung-fu. That’s why the independents are the most interesting.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Country Independent Interesting Person Playing
This is something that I dream about: to live films, to arrive at the point at which one can live for films, can think cinematographically, eat cinematographically, sleep cinematographically, as a poet, a painter, lives, eats, sleeps painting.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Cinematographical Dream Painter Sleep Thinking
I am still against any kind of censorship. It’s a subject in my life that has been very important.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Censorship Important Kind Subject
The movies I like are always movies where cinema is reinvented like if it was the beginning of cinema.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Beginning Cinema Movies Reinvented
For example, Jewish directors coming from Germany or Austria and enriching Hollywood. In 15, 20 years, Hollywood became imperialistic. Cinema goes ahead when it is marriaged by other culture. Otherwise, it turns on itself.
BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

Ahead Cinema Enriching Example Hollywood Imperialisytic

I was seduced by the nouvelle vague, because it was really reinventing everything. And the Italian cinema that one would see in the theaters in the late ’50s, early ’60s was Italian comedy, Italian style, which, to me, was like the end of neo-realism.

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I was seduced by the nouvelle vague, because it was really reinventing everything. And the Italian cinema that one would see in the theaters in the late ’50s, early ’60s was Italian comedy, Italian style, which, to me, was like the end of neo-realism.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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