Before the Revolution
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Bernardo Bertolucci
Adriana Asti
Francesco Barilli
Allen Midgette
Morando Morandini
Domenico Alpi
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Fabrizio, 20-years-old and caught up in Marxist ideology, rejects the stagnation of the Parmesian middle class background he shares with his fiancée, Clelia. Two friends encourage him: Cesare, a schoolteacher who serves as his guide in Marxism, and Agostino, the son of a prosperous manufacturer. He breaks with Clelia, and his dismayed parents invite his young aunt, Gina, to stay for a while in the hope that she can communicate with him. Then Agostino is drowned, and Fabrizio draws closer to Gina in his need for a close friend. She reciprocates his friendship, and they become secret lovers. Fabrizio finds difficulty in coping with Gina's unpredictable moods, however, and when one day he sees her emerging from a hotel with a chance acquaintance, his bitterness leads to a deterioration in their relationship. Finally Cesare helps Gina pack her suitcases to leave. Fabrizio becomes politically disillusioned and returns to Clelia, whose uncomplicated acceptance provides him with the security he needs. Although he encounters Gina again at the opera and discovers that his fascination with her remains, he marries Clelia. Cesare preaches revolution to a new generation of students and Gina tearfully embraces Fabrizio's younger brother.
Director
Bernardo Bertolucci
Cast
Adriana Asti
Francesco Barilli
Allen Midgette
Morando Morandini
Domenico Alpi
Giuseppe Maghenzani
Cecrope Barilli
Cristina Pariset
Emilia Borghi
Iole Lunardi
Evelina Alpi
Gianni Amico
Goliardo Padova
Guido Fanti
Salvatore Enrico
Ida Pellegri
Crew
Gianni Amico
Gianni Amico
Bernardo Bertolucci
Franco Ferrara
Ennio Ferrari
Ennio Morricone
Romano Pampaloni
Gino Paoli
Gino Paoli
Roberto Perpignani
Aldo Scavarda
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Rome opening: November 1964 as Prima della rivoluzione; running time: 115 min.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1996
Released in United States August 18, 1990
Released in United States May 1964
Released in United States on Video Fall 1989
Released in United States Summer July 21, 1965
Re-released in United States on Video July 23, 1996
Shown at Cannes Film Festival (International Critics Week) May 1964.
Shown at Lincoln Center, New York City in the series "A Roman Holiday" August 18, 1990.
Released in United States on Video Fall 1989
Released in United States May 1964 (Shown at Cannes Film Festival (International Critics Week) May 1964.)
Released in United States Summer July 21, 1965
Re-released in United States on Video July 23, 1996
Released in United States August 18, 1990 (Shown at Lincoln Center, New York City in the series "A Roman Holiday" August 18, 1990.)
Released in United States 1996 (Shown in Los Angeles (Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex) August 3-4 as part of program "Bravo Bertolucci" June 29 - September 2, 1996.)
