The impossibility of an intellectual ever staging a revolution is the theme of Bernardo Bertolucci's third feature film "Partner".
Bertolucci told us that he did not want to give the synopsis of "Partner" in detail as it was still open to modification during shooting but the main character is Jacob, a French lecturer at a Rome drama school who, one night, meets somenone completely identical to him in every way.
Jacob, a complex individual, afflicted with persecution mania, to which he attributes his own failings and lack of success, is at first terrified at this meeting. Then he manages to use his double to achieve those things of which he is personally incapable, from love to crime and success at teaching.
the way Bertolucci tells the story the spectator is always if the action involves Jacob or his substitute (both played by Pierre Clementi). The hero meets Tina Aumont, a house to house salesgirl who represents the consumer society - Bertolucci has an unusual make-up for her - two eyes painted on her eyelids (shades of Cocteau in "Le Testament d'Orphée").
Bertolucci has used the authentic voices of the actors. He is in fact more popular in France than in his native country where he has had difficulty in interesting producers in his projects. Faced with this indefference Bertolucci decided to form his own production company, Red Film, a new company of young people which is producing "Partner".
