“The Conformist”
Wow, holy cinematography Batman! After viewing the modern cinematographic masterpiece “The Darjeeling Limited” I turned to my home theatre and Bernardo Bertollucci’s “The Conformist.” Filmed in 1970, it marked the breakout for legendary cinematographer Vittorio Storraro (Apocalypse Now, Reds, The Last Emperor). And it is quite simply one of the most impressively shot films that I have ever seen. Of course, one can only be so taken with the visuals if the other elements are in place, and they are. While the visuals certainly take the lead, “The Conformist” is a beautiful film by all accounts-a psychological character study that employs a wonderful surreal narrative. It is a haunting film, a challenging piece of art- an early masterpiece in the Bertollucci canon.
The story is a character study of Marcello, a conformist to Fascism in Mussolini’s Italy. Marcello has volunteered for the secret police. He is sent to France to track down an old university professor of his then he is asked to kill him. Through a cross cutting/flashback narrative we learn of a traumatic experience in Marcello’s youth, then of his carefully constructed attempts to fit in.
“The Conformist” is film as high art. The visuals-not only the light but the long takes, the sets, the costumes, everything we see on the screen-are absolutely breathtaking. Mussollini’s Italy entrapts Marcello-the light and shadows are harsh and separate. In France, the two embrace each other, but Marcello does not embrace it, he is haunted by his past and has forced himself to believe in his duty. He has married a woman he does not love in order to appear correct. In the kind of beautiful visual and narrative metaphor we can only find in a foreign film from the 70’s his best friend is a blind man. The blind fascists throw him a wedding party, bumping into each other and wearing mis-matched shoes. Marcello falls instantly in love with the Professor’s flirty young wife. Has he met her before? In reality, in a dream? There are scenes and segments that will leave the average modern American viewer totally lost, but this is not your standard type of film. Bertollucci dares instead to be surreal, to cut on ideas rather than actions, to confuse the viewer to challenge us to go along with Marcello. And then there is the light.
Story: A Marcello is a yes man to Mussolini’s secret police, but why? He is haunted by an experience in his youth and now is being asked to kill his old mentor.
Acting: A Wonderful.
Visuals: A+ Some of the best ever.
Originality/Innovation: A In editing, script, and visuals this is a non-linear, non-literal film. In other words, it is art, and great art is always original.
Enjoyability Grade: A As long as you know what you are in for.
Overall Grade: A Film as art, a fine example of classic foreign cinema.
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