Il conformista (1970)

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Bernardo Bertolucci (writer)
Alberto Moravia (novel)

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 | 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
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:
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)
Luciano Rossi	...	(uncredited)
Gino Vagniluca	...	Secretario (uncredited)

Directed by
Bernardo Bertolucci

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bernardo Bertolucci		writer
Alberto Moravia		novel

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

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

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Aldo Lado	....	assistant director

Art Department
Nedo Azzini	....	assistant art director

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)

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) (France) (theatrical)
• Euro Space (1996) (Japan) (theatrical) (remastered complete version)
• Rosebud (2008) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Amuse Video (1997) (Japan) (DVD)
• Cesáreo González Producciones Cinematográficas (1975) (Spain)
• Paramount Home Video (1982) (USA) (VHS) (English short version)
• Suevia Films - Cesáreo González (Spain)
• Suevia Films (1975) (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:

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:

When Clerici asks the operator to connect him with Prof. Quadri, the telephone number he gives is the (one-time) telephone number of Bertolucci's idol Jean-Luc Godard. When Quadri answers the phone, Clerici recalls one of his lectures in which Quadri said "The time for reflection is over. Now is the time for action." This is the opening line in Godard's film Le Petit Soldat.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When young Marcello shoots up Lino's room, the squibs are clearly visible in the walls before they explode.

Quotes:

Giulia: [somewhat inebriated] Shopping is only for women. Husbands pay!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in One Step Beyond: The Making of 'Alien: Resurrection' (2003) (V)

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.