Il conformista (1970)

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

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 Latin phrase recited by Clerici on his way to kill the Quadris was "Animula, vagula, blandula, hospes comesque corporis", the first line of a poem attributed to the Roman emperor Hadrian.

Goofs:

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

Quotes:

[after overthrow of Mussolini]
Giulia: What are you going to do now?
Marcello: The same as everyone else who thought like me. When there are so many of us, there's no risk.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sugar Cookies (1973)

Architecture meets celluloid.

What is most amazing about The Conformist is it's cinematography and angles.

Director Bertolucci and Cinematographer Storraro have created a masterpiece of form by using light, camera angles, and character positioning.

The architecture dwarfs the characters as they try to make sense of their existence during Italy's fascist period (1930's). They are placed theatrically at times creating a balance of space.

The Conformist is the most stunning film visually I have ever seen. Every scene is immaculate, kind of surreal, almost to rich for the senses to take in one viewing.

The story is somewhat difficult on the first viewing but one can figure the basic plot line. It is a story about repression and oppression, about nationality, political beliefs during a paradigm shift. It is about acceptance and avoidance. It is about playing it safe in a time of tension.

The final scene suggests what the main character might have become had he chose the truth. It is left up to us to judge him and realize that it is sort of a catch 22; either way, he would have ended up in that dark place where a fascist country would mentally place same sex love.

See this film to see the potential of the beauty of film.

Conform or not to Conform? That is the Question.