The Conformist

THE CONFORMIST (IL CONFORMISTA) (18)
D: Bernardo Bertolucci
Mars/Marianne/Maran (Maurizio Lodi-Fe)
Italy/France/West Germany 🇮🇹 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 1970
111 mins

Drama/Thriller/Political

W: Bernardo Bertolucci [based on the novel by Alberto Moravia]
DP: Vittorio Storaro
Ed: Franco Arcalli
Mus: Georges Delerue

Jean-Louis Trintignant (Marcello Clerici), Stefania Sandrelli (Giulia), Gastone Moschin (Manganiello), Enzo Taroscio (Professor Quadri), Dominique Sanda (Anna Quadri), Pierre Clementi (Lino Semirama)

Plagued by the memory of a traumatic homosexual experience during his childhood, a sexually inhibited young man tries to conform to the changing face of fascist Italy under Mussolini's regime, but finds himself out of his depth when he becomes an informant.
This multi-layered, psychologically confusing drama from Bernardo Bertolucci makes a provocative connection between repressed sexual desires and political views, addressing the duality of sexual and political conflicts. 
The heavy-going narrative won't be easily digested by everyone, since there is a lot to mull over in your mind, but it's a wonderfully crafted piece of work with the period marvellously captured by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro.
8/10

Jean-Louis Trintignant in The Conformist
Jean-Louis Trintignant in The Conformist