1900 (DVD)

1900 (1977) starring Robert De Niro, Gerard Depardieu, Sterling Hayden, Donald Sutherland, Burt Lancaster. Bernardo Bertolucci directs this epic tale that follows the lives of two Italian men -- a peasant and a landowner -- both born on Jan. 1, 1900. Friends as children, the two become estranged as their differing social status pulls them apart. Their personal conflicts mirror political events in Italy, as both fascism and socialism gain footholds in the country. Sutherland, De Niro and Depardieu look remarkably young. De Niro and Depardieu both appear totally nude in one scene where they attempt to employ a young prostitute. Ultimately, though, this movie is just a five-hour-long mess. Grade: C-