“Together nothing is impossible. Together nothing is forbidden,” reads the movie poster for “The Dreamers,” out in theaters now.

The movie is set in Paris in the spring of 1968, during the weeks leading up to the student riots that resulted in the downfall of President Charles de Gaulle. “The Dreamers” is directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, the Italian master behind “Last Tango in Paris” and best known for his direction of “The Last Emperor” (which received a total of nine Oscars). Adapted by Gilbert Adair from his 1988 novel, “The Holy Innocents,” the movie is a deep look inside the world of Matthew, Isabelle and Theo — three very different people who seem to share one thing in common: youth.

“The Dreamers” opens at the infamous Cinematheque Francaise where an American student named Matthew (Michael Pitt) sits in the very front row in order to get the rush of the movie faster. It is there that he first sees Isabelle (Eva Green) and Theo (Louis Garrel.) Theo and Isabelle, brother and sister, take Matthew home to their parents’ apartment for dinner. The American moves in; the parents leave for a holiday; and “The Dreamers” begin.

The imagery of the streets of Paris, the Louvre, and the frequent cuts to older movies is what makes “The Dreamers” visually beautiful. The nudity — frontal, dorsal, you name it — in “The Dreamers” is clearly not just for audience arousal. It allows this surprising release, a rare NC-17 rated film from the major studio Fox Search Light, to provide a rare view of young intimacy. The characters’ passion for one another is shared with their passion for movies and politics.

Discussing everything from Chaplin vs. Keaton to the Vietnam War. Their love of films is beautifully displayed though frequent cuts to clips from such Hollywood and French classics as “Breathless,” “City Lights,” “Freaks,” and “Mouchette.” When Isabelle moves slowly about her bedroom memorizing the furniture, Matthew realizes she’s imitating Garbo in “Queen Christina.” The passion for films is clearly there, though when Matthew and Theo argue politics, it’s almost laughable and done half- heartedly. The street riots seem rapidly staged and placed at the wrong times in the film, unfortunately leaving the whole issue of their politics underdeveloped and in question.

It is at the apartment that the three blur out the world below as the riots on the streets begin and their relationships develop into what Matthew is convinced is love. Although the menage a trios isn’t anywhere near as ludicrous as it first appears to be, there is an underlying theme of sex in everything they do. As they quiz each other on movies, the person who answers wrong or takes too long is forced to perform some sort of embarrassing sexual act. This is demonstrated when Theo can’t remember the movie Isabelle is acting out and she forces him to masturbate in front of a photo while she and Matthew watch. It seems relatively harmless and funny until you remember that Isabelle and Theo are brother and sister.

Matthew, Isabelle, and Theo’s world is at some points uncomfortable to watch. Scenes, including one in which Isabelle and Matthew have sex on the kitchen floor while Theo cracks eggs into a pan and smokes a cigarette, pretending to ignore his sister’s moans. These types of scenes are frequent throughout the movie, which brings up the topic of incest. Bertolucci toys with the idea by having Isabelle and Theo sleep and bathe together, but does not face the issue head-on. The constant guessing throughout the movie puts the audience into Matthew’s mind as he goes back and forth, questioning the relationship between Isabelle and Theo. It becomes very clear to him, in a dramatic ending, who Isabelle will always prefer.

“The Dreamers” is bound to start much debate over its provocative nature. Some will only see “The Dreamers” as a film about young adults having sex, but it is actually a bold and daring film with a number of eye-popping moments.