The Conformist (1970) Il conformista (original title)

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Alberto Moravia (novel)
Bernardo Bertolucci (screenplay)

Release Date:

1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

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 | Flashback | Train | Professor

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 11 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:
Gianni Amico	...	Allievo Prof. Quadri (uncredited)
Joel Barcellos	...	Allievo Prof. Quadri (uncredited)
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)
Giorgio Pelloni	...	Allievo Prof. Quadri (uncredited)
Luciano Rossi	...	(uncredited)
Gino Vagniluca	...	Secretario (uncredited)

Directed by
Bernardo Bertolucci

Writing credits
Alberto Moravia		(novel)
Bernardo Bertolucci		(screenplay)

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

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Vittorio Storaro

Film Editing by
Franco Arcalli

Production Design by
Ferdinando Scarfiotti

Set Decoration by
Osvaldo Desideri		(uncredited)

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
Mario Cotone	....	production supervisor (uncredited)
Nicola Venditti	....	production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Aldo Lado	....	assistant director
Alain Bonnot	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Paolo Finocchi	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Nedo Azzini	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Mario Dallimonti	....	sound
Franco Bassi	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
Guido Giogucci	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

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)
Rita Savagnone	....	voice dubbing: Dominique Sanda (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) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1971) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1971) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Curzon Film Distributors (1971) (UK) (theatrical)
• Euro Space (1996) (Japan) (theatrical) (remastered complete version)
• Rosebud (2008) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Amuse Video (1997) (Japan) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Cesáreo González Producciones Cinematográficas (1975) (Spain)
• Homescreen (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Kinokuniya (2012) (Japan) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1982) (USA) (VHS) (English short version)
• Raro Video (2011) (Italy) (DVD)
• Suevia Films - Cesáreo González (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:

"Il conformista" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

111 min | 106 min (international version) (first release)

Country:

Italy | France | West Germany

Language:

Italian | French | Latin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | UK:X (original rating) | Singapore:M18 | West Germany:18 (f) | UK:15 (2007 re-rating) | Argentina:16 | Peru:18 | Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | Italy:VM14

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:

[denies a rumor regarding his father]
Marcello:You see, the origin of my father's mental illness isn't venereal. That can be medically confirmed.
Giulia's Mother:By the way, my little girl has had the mumps, scarlet fever, and German measles.
Marcello:They're all very moral maladies.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Story of Film: An Odyssey: Episode #1.10" (2011)

The Dark Poetry Of Politics

To be everything is nothing. To go against what you cherish the most is the symbolic gesture of weakness. The brilliant story telling of the young and passionate Bernardo Bertolucci remains as vivid and powerful as the first time I saw it - 15 years ago, when I was 21 - The film is 41 years old now and I can only imagine the effect it had in its day. For me, it became a point of reference and to see it again is a shattering scramble of emotions. Jean Louis Trintignat is extraordinary and Stefania Sandrelli is superb as the mediocre, petite bourgeois wife. The art direction by Ferdinando Scarfiotti and the photography by Vittorio Storaro are, quite simply, without equal. I was very moved by the appearance of Pierre Clemeti as the ambiguous Lino. A film to visit and re-visit.