Classic Film Guide

Conformist, The (1970)

aka Il Conformista (1970)

Director Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor (1987)) earned his first Oscar nomination for his screenplay adaptation of Alberto Moravia’s bizarre story about a young Italian man (Jean-Louis Trintignant) with a conflicted sexual history who's about to be married (to Stefania Sandrelli’s character) that's also just joined Mussolini's secret police such that he must now murder his former professor (Enzo Tarascio), who's exiled in Paris because of his differing political views. A blind friend (José Quaglio) of this about-to-become "conformist, fascist", the professor's sexy wife (Dominique Sanda), and a peer of his in the secret police (Gastone Moschin) also figure in the drama. Beautifully photographed by Vittorio Storaro, who has won three Oscars for his cinematography, but a bit too much of an art house flick for most tastes.

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