Il conformista (1970)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Bernardo Bertolucci (writer)
Alberto Moravia (novel)

Release Date:

1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Bertolucci's Masterpiece about Sex and Politics [re-release]

Plot:

A weak-willed Italian man becomes a fascist flunky who goes abroad to arrange the assassination of his old teacher, now a political dissident.

Plot Keywords:

Fascist | Italy | Honeymoon | Train | Professor

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Jean-Louis Trintignant	...	Marcello Clerici (as Jean Louis Trintignant)
Stefania Sandrelli	...	Giulia
Gastone Moschin	...	Manganiello
Enzo Tarascio	...	Professor Quadri
Fosco Giachetti	...	Il colonnello
José Quaglio	...	Italo
Dominique Sanda	...	Anna Quadri
Pierre Clémenti	...	Lino
Yvonne Sanson	...	Madre di Giulia
Milly	...	Madre di Marcello
Giuseppe Addobbati	...	Padre di Marcello
Christian Aligny	...	Raoul (as Christian Alegny)
Carlo Gaddi	...	Hired Killer
Umberto Silvestri	...	Hired Killer
Furio Pellerani	...	Hired Killer
Luigi Antonio Guerra
Orso Maria Guerrini
Pasquale Fortunato	...	Marcello bambino
Antonio Maestri	...	Confessore
Alessandro Haber	...	Cieco ubriaco
Massimo Sarchielli	...	Cieco
Pierangelo Civera	...	Franz
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christian Belegue	...	Gipsy (uncredited)
Benedetto Benedetti	...	Minister (uncredited)
Claudio Cappeli	...	Hired Killer (uncredited)
Romano Costa	...	Man opening the door (uncredited)
Marta Lado	...	Marcello's Daughter (uncredited)
Luciano Rossi	...	(uncredited)
Gino Vagniluca	...	Secretario (uncredited)

Directed by
Bernardo Bertolucci

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bernardo Bertolucci		writer
Alberto Moravia		novel

Produced by
Giovanni Bertolucci	....	executive producer
Maurizio Lodi-Fe	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Vittorio Storaro

Film Editing by
Franco Arcalli

Production Design by
Ferdinando Scarfiotti

Costume Design by
Gitt Magrini

Makeup Department
Franco Corridoni	....	makeup artist
Rosa Luciani	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Serge LeBeau	....	production manager
Aldo U. Passalacqua	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Aldo Lado	....	assistant director

Art Department
Nedo Azzini	....	assistant art director

Camera and Electrical Department
Giuseppe Alberti	....	assistant camera
Enrico Umetelli	....	camera operator
Alberico Novelli	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Piero Cicoletti	....	assistant costumer

Editorial Department
Vincenzo Di Santo	....	assistant editor
Giancarlo Venarucci	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Georges Delerue	....	conductor

Other crew
Loredana Pagliaro	....	production secretary
Flavia Sante Vanin	....	script girl
Pietro Sassaroli	....	administrator
Attilio Viti	....	production secretary
Sergio Graziani	....	voice dubbing: Jean-Louis Trintignant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mars Film (as Mars Film Produzione S.p.A., Roma)
• Marianne Productions
• Maran Film (participation) (as Maran Film G.M.B.H. di Munchen)

Distributors

• Paramount Films of Italy Inc. (1970) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (remastered version)
• Cinema International Corporation (C.I.C.) (1972) (Japan) (theatrical) (English short version)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1971) (France) (theatrical)
• Euro Space (1996) (Japan) (theatrical) (remastered complete version)
• Rosebud (2008) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Amuse Video (1997) (Japan) (DVD)
• Cesáreo González Producciones Cinematográficas (1975) (Spain)
• Paramount Home Video (1982) (USA) (VHS) (English short version)
• Suevia Films - Cesáreo González (Spain)
• Suevia Films (1975) (Spain)

Other Companies

• Valentino Bompiani  book publisher: "Il Comformista"
• Fono Roma  sound post-production
• Westrex Recording System  recording system (as Westrex Recording)
• Centro Doppiaggio Televisivo (CDC)  dubbing (as C.D.C.)
• Lucherini/Rossetti/Spinola/Scalera  publicity (as Lucherini-Rossetti-Spinola)
• Warner / Chappell Music  music publisher (as edizioni CHAPPEL S.p.A.)
• Technicolor  color by
• Tirelli Costumi  costumes (as Tirelli)

Also Known As:

Der Konformist (West Germany)
Der große Irrtum (West Germany)
Le conformiste (France)
The Conformist (USA)

Runtime:

107 min | 111 min (1995 Restoration)

Country:

Italy | France | West Germany

Language:

Italian | French | Latin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | West Germany:18 (f) | UK:15 (2007 re-rating) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Gare d'Orsay, Paris 7, Paris, France

Company:

Mars Film

Trivia:

The poem recited by Marcello while traveling on train is Gabriele D'Annunzio's "La pioggia nel pineto" (1903).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Manganiello is driving Marcello around, the windshield wipers are on in the close shots, but off on the long shots.

Quotes:

Anna: [to Marcello] You're only a worm. You revolt me. You're disgusting!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cinematographer Style (2006)

The best cooperation of artists of cinema

This is one of few films in which every artist's performance peaks and falls into place: Trintignant (Z (1969), le Secret (1974)) at his best, Bertolucci's best picture so far, and Vittorio Storaro's best cinematography (besides Apocalypse Now). Their cooperation seems to pay off very well (Novecento (1976), Last Emperor (1987)) as they apparently enhance each other's work. With their brilliance they almost turn Marcello into a hero, while he is actually an anti-hero in this non-linear story. It's not only an entertaining personal tragedy, it's also a political thriller with very distinctive music. I couldn't imagine life without Il Conformista anymore (like Amarcord and some other masterpieces).

Always beautiful, never sentimental: poetic from minute to minute. The compositions, lighting and camera-movements made me breathless: I've never seen so much poetic power in one film. Watch for instance the camera's movement to behind the tree when Manganiello searches for Marcello in the small park @ 68 min. And for instance the hand-held scene near the end. Or the camera placements when Marcello comes approaches his mother's house. Actually the entire film is a big poem. See for yourself :-)

I was lucky enough to see this one in a theater just two months after seeing it first (dec 2000). If you have the chance, go see it on a big screen. If you like the looks of this you will probably like 'Una giornata particolare' (1977) and 'Amarcord' (1974) too.

Why o why can't we vote 11 :(