Bernardo Bertolucci's epic tale follows the lives of two Italian men -- a peasant (Gerard Depardieu) and a landowner (Robert De Niro) -- 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 the political events in Italy, as both fascism and socialism gain footholds in the country. Sterling Hayden, Donald Sutherland and Burt Lancaster co-star.