Bernardo Bertolucci died at 77

RIP - a much more major and complex guy than the way he's generally framed in the US - by that I mean if you removed the great "big"" films - The Conformist, Last Tango and Last Emperor from his filmography what's left is still a searing, restless, penetrating artist.

His film debut - at 21 I think (!?!) - The Grim Reaper was a sign of what he was really like and what remained for him - social, cultural, personal mores and the individuals both within and outside the "systems".

On a sidenote, I think it's such bad taste to take the exact day someone dies to dig his grave and tell everyone what a horrible person he was. Pointing out that someone is problematic when they're just deceased won't bring anyone any closure or sense of justice, it's just disrespectful to the family and friends of the deceased - you know, people who did nothing wrong and are entitled to mourn someone they had ties with. The internet is quiet on Bertolucci today, but I can only imagine what shitshow it'll be when Allen or Depp die.

Sad news.

He has always been a strange case for me, as I mostly liked his less famous and less well received films better than his celebrated ones.

"Il Conformista" always was to cold and to blatant for my taste. And "The Last Emperor" just too overlong (though this could be because I only saw the 220 minutes version). You could say this about "Novecento" as well, but I think in this complex movie he almost matched with his ambitions and made a historically significant film that is richer in content.

I prefered his character studies about "outsiders" more. "The Last Tango in Paris", "The Dreamers" and the sadly undervalued "Me and You" are all steeped in a beautiful melancholy, combined with a claustrophobic, sometimes magic atmosphere. In many scenes their characters seem almost lost for the world or the world is lost for them. At least Bertoluccis films never will be lost for us.

RIP

Not a fan, but RIP

The Conformist is a masterpiece and I thought that The Last Emperor was beautiful as well. RIP!!!

Before turning 31, he made two solid films that were by no means playing it safe in terms of subject matter and form (La Commare Secca, Before the Revolution). He cowrote Once Upon a Time in the West (he wrote the treatment (that was over 300 pgs) with Dario Argento). He made the very great and underseen Spider's Stratagem. And the masterpiece The Conformist. And just finished filming Last Tango in Paris - another masterpiece.  

He was a daring and resounding talent. RIP.

Also..... for those who have seen them, are any of his '90s films worth checking out?

Mattsby
It's 1981, but I just saw Tragedy of a ridiculous man.
It might be worth watching.