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The Conformist

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1:40

The Conformist

R

Released Oct 22, 1970

1h 51m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

59 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In Mussolini's Italy, repressed Jean-Louis Trintignant, trying to purge memories of a youthful, homosexual episode -- and murder -- joins the Fascists in a desperate attempt to fit in. As the reluctant Judas motors to his personal Gethsemane (the assassination of his leftist mentor), he flashes back to a dance party for the blind; an insane asylum in a stadium; and wife Stefania Sandrelli and lover Dominique Sanda dancing the tango in a working class hall. But those are only a few of this political thriller's anthology pieces, others including Trintignant's honeymoon coupling with Sandrelli in a train compartment as the sun sets outside their window; a bimbo lolling on the desk of a fascist functionary, glimpsed in the recesses of his cavernous office; a murder victim's hands leaving bloody streaks on a limousine parked in a wintry forest.

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Critics Consensus

A commentary on fascism and beauty alike, Bernardo Bertolucci's The Conformist is acclaimed for its sumptuous visuals and extravagant, artful cinematography.

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Aja Romano

Vox

It's easy to overlook how stark The Conformist's political and allegorical message is because it's just so damn beautiful.

Dec 3, 2018

Full Review

Keith Phipps

The Dissolve

It's yesteryear remembered with a combination of nostalgia and repulsion, a queasy combination that defines the film and gives it a kind of hideous allure.

Rated: 5/5

Nov 24, 2014

Full Review

Andrew O'Hehir

Salon.com

The unsettling blend of images and ideas in this movie cannot satisfactorily be disentangled or decoded, and it's the very strangeness of Bertolucci's masterpiece that has made it so influential in cinema history.

Aug 29, 2014

Full Review

Ray Pride

Newcity

Lush, even drenching 1970 masterpiece... A cinematic confection of near-perfection at high velocity, its stylistic prowess and textural largesse is often cited as a major influence by [may major] directors including Steven Spielberg.

Rated: 10/10

May 14, 2023

Full Review

Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

All this adds up to something more than mere style, or mannerism—even if it was not a very precise match to Moravia’s coolly detached prose, which perhaps more exactly portrayed Marcello’s amoral soullessess...

Apr 20, 2023

Full Review

Noah Gittell

Washington City Paper

In lesser hands, The Conformist would be a first-rate political thriller, and while there are moments of tension, Bertolucci finds more drama in the thrills of human psychology.

Mar 3, 2023

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Dani G

Honestly, I didn't got it entirely. It kept me interested, but I was missing something I think

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/18/25

Full Review

Isa B

This film is filled with substance, yet still it is outweighed by the beautiful style with which it is presented. This was an exceptionally well-written screenplay brought to life by a phenomenal cast. This film was highly influential to Francis Ford Coppola and The Godfather trilogy. It had influenced many other works, including the famous "Pine Barrens" episode of The Sopranos. Bernardo Bertolucci made one of the greatest motion pictures of all-time in il conformista. I not only recommend this particular film, but any film from the filmography of Mr. Bertolucci. 100/100 🏆

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/26/24

Full Review

Tom F

Jean-Louis Trintignant brings a strange energy to this meandering story about a man who yearns for a normal life as a good fascist.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/21/24

Full Review

Alec B

Shot and edited brilliantly, Bertolucci crafted the perfect narrative about how totalitarian regimes are powered both by a small group of committed ideologues and by a large number of people performing as committed ideologues.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

ron r

one of my top 10 favorites

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/17/22

Full Review

Shioka O

Watch this for the cinematography. Color and light. Applause for Storaro.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/26/22

Full Review

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Bernardo Bertolucci

Director

Jean-Louis Trintignant

Marcello

Stefania Sandrelli

Giulia

Dominique Sanda

Anna Quadri

Pierre Clémenti

Lino

Gastone Moschin

Manganiello

The Conformist: Official Clip - A Killer's Forced Confession

2:59

The Conformist: Official Clip - The Coldest Assassination

2:09

The Conformist: Official Clip - He Slapped THE SH*T Out Of His Mom's Pimp!

2:03

The Conformist: Official Clip - When Your Wife and Mistress Sexy Dance…

2:40

The Conformist: Official Clip - Flowers for His Wife... or Mistress?

2:24

The Conformist: Official Clip - You're All FASCISTS!

3:29

The Conformist: Official Clip - Shooting Your Mistress

1:13

The Conformist: Official Clip - Starting An Affair (While Your Wife's Nearby)

1:44

The Conformist: Official Clip - I'm NOT A Virgin

1:50

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The Conformist: Trailer 1

1:40

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Synopsis

In Mussolini's Italy, repressed Jean-Louis Trintignant, trying to purge memories of a youthful, homosexual episode -- and murder -- joins the Fascists in a desperate attempt to fit in. As the reluctant Judas motors to his personal Gethsemane (the assassination of his leftist mentor), he flashes back to a dance party for the blind; an insane asylum in a stadium; and wife Stefania Sandrelli and lover Dominique Sanda dancing the tango in a working class hall. But those are only a few of this political thriller's anthology pieces, others including Trintignant's honeymoon coupling with Sandrelli in a train compartment as the sun sets outside their window; a bimbo lolling on the desk of a fascist functionary, glimpsed in the recesses of his cavernous office; a murder victim's hands leaving bloody streaks on a limousine parked in a wintry forest.

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Producer: Maurizio Lodi-Fè
Screenwriter: Bernardo Bertolucci, Alberto Moravia
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Mars Film, Marianne Productions, Maran Film
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 22, 1970, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jan 6, 2023
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 24, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $179.7K
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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