The Conformist is probably one of the most famous foreign films of all time; it's pretty much impossible to read anything about Italian, art, or world cinema without Bertolucci and especially this feature being mentioned. It's a masterpiece of stunning photography, deep acting, powerful direction, and has a respectable theme about the analysis of what leads people to become people like fascists.
Made in the late 60s and released in 1970, The Conformist fit in well with the inquisitiveness and anti-authoritarian ideas of the time. Bertolucci adds to the drama by bringing in different levels of analysis, most notably psychoanalytic and homophobic readings of the nature of fascism. In those regard, including the cinematography, this movie is wonderful.
I don't entirely agree that this movie is that well written, however. Many people have stated that sometimes the imagery in this movie is so powerful that the plot and details start to take second place, and it's true... this movie, despite it's strong thematic elements, is mostly visual splendor. Sometimes the magnificent photography doesn't really have much to do with what is going on in the story, and not all that happens in the story is that well done.
Bertolucci is known to add passion and romance to his movies, but his ideas of love, passion, and even obsession never ring true to me. In this case, Marcello falls in love with a one Anna Quadri, and his relationship with her is supposed to represent his chance to break out of his conformist tendencies and for once in his life follow his real desires. Unfortunately, Anna is not only an unlikeable character, but it never even really feels like Marcello really likes (loves) her. The romance between these two people is illustrated by highly unbelievable "sensual" moments that try to be profound, but hardly are even accurate. The scene of Anna's death is a gripping, powerful moment, but still I can't help but feel like it doesn't matter anyway. An unlikeable character is betrayed by a man who is unable to stand up for his desires for someone he doesn't actually like.
Taking on Bertolucci's sensual style is probably like trying to nail a door into its frame with a banana, but having seen quite a few Bertolucci films so far, I've got to say that he's much better with mise-en-scene and cinematography than writing. By the end of The Conformist, when Marcello is even unable to stand up for his previous conformist principles, the imagery still dazzles but the characterization is dead. This highly famous film has the ability to cement itself in one's memory due to the photography, but the characters and story are ultimately forgettable. "The imagery is so powerful, sometimes you forget the story." --PolarisDiB
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