I saw this when it was being shown as a one-off at my local cinema (was unavailable elsewhere) and it was one of the greatest experiences at the cinema of my life. Sardonic humour, absorbing characters, beautifully filmed, with perhaps the most harrowing murder sequence I've ever seen. I couldn't praise this film anymore.

Bertolucci's masterpiece. One of the most stunning films ever made period.

A breathtaking, brilliant film.

One of cinema's all time masterpieces.

Bertolucci's best and one world's best during the 20th Century.

Evokes Arendt's 'The Banality of Evil.' Loved the scenes where you get into the character's head without the need for dialogue or voice-over (eg, the scene where he watches a piece of luggage threatening to fall on his wife's head and does nothing about it). The scene where he abandons the Dominique Sanda character to her fate is unforgettable. Much has been said about the cinematography and the use of light: a little unsubtle for me: too obviously symbolist. A masterpiece nonetheless.… Expand

The rating this movie deserves would depend on what year it is. Back when this came out, it would have been relevant to Europe's still fresh scars from WW2. I'm in generation Y, and although this film makes a good historical and cultural demonstration, it is tailored for my parents, not me. It's something I have to "try to get", not something I can just watch and know immediately the points the movie is trying to convey. In other words, it's a movie I have to learn how to watch while I'm watching it, which was nice mental stimulation, but ultimately less entertaining and something my memory won't encode fondly, despite it's strengths. I hope this who know their 20th century European history and culture won't think I am being ungrateful, and I understand this movie should have higher appeal to those who do.

I must say though, I very much enjoyed the buildings in this movie.… Expand

A visual masterpiece, but also completely unabsorbing. The scenery and characters are a joy to look at, but its impossible to get into their heads because nothing they do makes sense in the least bit. This seems to be true about most Bertolucci films. Luckily Coppola snatched Vittorio Storaro away from him for a few years and gave us a true masterpiece both visually and in terms of storytelling called Apocalypse Now.… Expand

Good acting performance and cast. The movie sets and the production are also striking. And that's it... Only visual stuff. In my opinion, the movie is overrated, perhaps, because of the stigma post-fascism and post-Nazi, still felt in the 70's. By this I mean that a film like this, which casts a harsh critique of fascism, would be easily remarkable at a time when in Europe there were still "scars" of World War II. The message is, nonetheless, very interesting and important to impart. But I do not think this movie deserves the same score of Lawrence of Arabia and The Godfather ... Overrated my friends...… Collapse