Bertolucci, Bernardo (1940– )

Italian film director. His work combines political and historical perspectives with an elegant and lyrical visual appeal. He is probably best known for the film Last Tango in Paris (1972), which caused an international sensation over its erotic content. Other films, such as Strategia del ragno/The Spider's Stratagem (1970), Il conformista/The Conformist (1970), and The Last Emperor (1987) (which won nine Academy Awards, including Best Director), demonstrate his philosophical complexity and visual sophistication.

Bertolucci made his feature-film debut in 1962 with La commare secca/The Grim Reaper. His next film, Prima della rivoluzione/Before the Revolution (1964), revealed a politically committed sensibility and an indebtedness to the work of French director Jean-Luc Godard, and won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1998 he received the Freedom of Expression award in the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Awards.

He studied modern literature at the University of Rome, and had some success as a writer before becoming a film-maker. His poetry collection In cerca del mistero/In Search of Mystery (1962) won the Premio Viareggio, one of Italy's most prestigious literary awards.

Among his other films are Novecento/1900 (1976), The Sheltering Sky (1990), Little Buddha (1993), and Stealing Beauty (1996).