Bernardo Bertolucci

The Profile

Bernardo Bertolucci (1941–2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter from Parma. Renowned for visually sumptuous, thematically bold cinema, he won nine Academy Awards with The Last Emperor (including Best Director and Best Picture) and frequently collaborated with cinematographer Vittorio Storaro.

Italian director and screenwriter; major works include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900 (Novecento), The Last Emperor, The Sheltering Sky, and The Dreamers. The Last Emperor won 9 Oscars. Known for collaborations with Vittorio Storaro and for films exploring politics, sexuality, identity, and history.

Reviews span early works to the 2000s, debating Bertolucci’s politics, eroticism, and visual style. The Conformist earns high praise for technique and influence. The Sheltering Sky is lauded for atmosphere and themes of love and death. Last Tango in Paris divides sharply. Novecento triggers polemics for its political stance.