A perk of working part-time at a video store, more than anything, is stumbling upon the most eccentric films you would ever lay 
your eyes upon. Bertolucci’s The Dreamers conveys the story of Matthew, an American student who finds himself entranced with the lives of the exotic French beauty Isabelle and her unorthodox-thinking twin brother, Theo. The film begins by conveying the three protagonists’ addiction to the cinematic art, for which they consistently attend the Cinémathèque Française. This provides us many opportunities of insight into the world of cinematic exclusivity by using snippets from both classic and New Wave films.
Bertolucci’s cinematography in the film reminds me (once in a while) of Godardian techniques, specifically in his choice of long shots and sweeping (panning) movements. The use of red to shock symbolism in certain scenes is another example of this intertextuality. A key moment arrives when the film’s Theo quotes the cahiers du cinema‘s “the camera is like a peeping hole,” aligning this statement to the curious child’s keyhole to his parents’ bedroom. Of course, the film maker himself adapts this within the voyeuristic elements of the film, as the audience continue to pry into the lives of the three teenagers like the inquisitive stalker.
Essentially, the film’s plot holds over the American kid thrown into the sensual gratification of the French siblings, enraptured in a whirlwind of sexual experimentation without no necessary direction. Bertolucci, and of course the actors themselves, are 
commendable in being unafraid to reveal the extent of what the human body is capable of, in a flurry of flesh, smoke and bodily fluids (and not just blood, at that). The film also touches on the taboo topic of incest, exploring the abnormal proximity between Isabelle and Theo.
This is one of those films that welcomes response in opposites, or the “You love it or hate it” scenario. It isn’t really something that I would look forward to seeing more than twice, but it is definitely something to try if you want something out of the conventional.