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The Conformist

R Released Oct 22, 1970 1h 51m Drama TRAILER for List
98% Tomatometer 60 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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The Conformist

The Conformist

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 mary m I had a chance to see the 4K restoration of this and it's magnificient. The film was beautiful in the crappy 35mm I originally saw it in, but this was a revelation. It's good to see attention being paid to classics. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 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 dave s Set in 1938, an agent of Benito Mussolini's secret police is dispatched to France to kill an outspoken professor who is opposed to Italy's Fascist regime. The agent, a former student of the intended target, rekindles his friendship with the victim and falls in love with the target's beautiful wife, all while beginning to question his loyalty to the regime. Once you get past the first half of the film, which may feel disjointed at times due to the number of flashbacks, Bernardo Bertolucci's The Conformist is a gripping political thriller about loyalty and self-doubt. More importantly, it is filled with some truly stunning visuals thanks to Vittorio Storaro's beautiful cinematography and some bold directorial choices made by Bertolucci. If interested in checking out Bertolucci's oeuvre, The Conformist is probably the place to start. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Conformist

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Movie Info

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, Maran Film, Marianne Productions
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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