just woke up, partial headache with the dreamers

matthew (michael pitt), the american cinephile exchange student in paris is an advocate of a revolution of thoughts, intellect, culture and love. he is against violence, that’s what he always say to his newfound friends in paris, the twins isabel (eva green) and theo (louis garrel). isabel and theo’s radical beliefs and ideologies against the government and the ongoing war is often countered by matthew, the american with liberal thoughts. although the culture of theo and isabel greeted matthew’s senses right smack in the face, he slowly learns to accept what he perceived to be the twisted life and relationship of the twins (sleeping with each other, taking a bath together, kissing, watching movies, role playing scenes from classic movies, etc).

one night, matthew and theo had this conversation as they were drinking the age old wine of theo and isabel’s father:

matthew: if you really believed what you were saying, you’d be out there.

theo: where

matthew: out there on the street

theo: i don’t know what you mean

matthew: yes you do. there’s something goin on out there. something that feels like it could really be important. something that feels like things could change. even i get that. but you’re not out there. you’re inside with me, drinking expensive wine, talking about film, talking about maoism, why? no, tell me why? ask yourself why? because i don’t think you believe it.

somehow, the drunk matthew contradicts the sober matthew who is never an advocate of violence in demonstrations.

bernardo bertolucci’s the dreamers (2003) deconstructs many of the common society’s norms about family, brother-sister relationship, friendship and love. the film shows the dreamers (matthew, theo and isabel and all the other extras of the film) in their own pre-conceived, developed truths and how they are able to make their dreams into realities.

the most poignant scene for me is the time when matthew tries to convince theo and isabel to abandon their plan of fronting the line of demonstrators to surreptitiously throw a bomb to the line of policemen. matthew says that they have to fight with their brains and then kisses theo and isabel to imply the importance of love but the twins were adamant and inseperable. they pushed through the front line, joined the flood of people on the streets, and an uproar signs the clash of the opposing forces of the society.