Why did a seemingly ordinary man in fascist Italy, in the late 1930s,volunteer to become a political assassin? This movie reflects on some of the key factors involved and also shows the reasons why he found his mission far more difficult than he originally expected. The assassin's story involves sex, politics, treachery and murder but also focuses on the psychological impact of his experiences in a series of flashbacks that brilliantly illustrate the types of incidents that contributed to the inner turmoil that made him the repressed and deeply dissatisfied man that he'd gradually become.
With the help of his blind friend Italo (Jose Quaglio), Marcello Clerici (Jean-Louis Trintignant) becomes a secret police agent and volunteers to assassinate the leader of an anti-fascist group. The man in question is Marcello's former university professor Luca Quadri (Enzo Tarascio) who, because of his political views and activism, had exiled himself in Paris.
Marcello had always felt an outsider because of his privileged upbringing and visits he makes to his father (who's in an insane asylum) and his morphine-addicted mother (who's having an affair with her chauffeur), leave him feeling even more troubled. An incident that happened in his early teens when a chauffeur tried to molest him, left Marcello haunted both by his initial response to the situation and also the fact that he'd shot his assailant. His desperation over these issues intensified the need in him to conform to society's norms so that he could become more fully accepted by others and thereby feel more normal.
In an attempt to achieve the type of normality he craved, Marcello had become engaged to Guilia (Stefania Sandrelli), an immature middle-class young woman whose preoccupations clearly irritated him. His impending marriage gave him the opportunity to arrange a honeymoon in Paris and this in turn provided him with the pretext he needed to go to the French capital. When he makes contact with Quadri and his much younger wife Anna (Dominique Sanda), he quickly becomes filled with doubts about what he's doing because he can't help but respect his old philosophy mentor and also becomes obsessed by the bi-sexual Anna who he finds infinitely more fascinating than his own wife.
Marcello's dilemma deepens as he recognises that if he doesn't go through with the assassination he'll have lost his best opportunity to fit in with the majority of other people and it's only through the influence of a fellow agent called Manganiello (Gastone Moschin) that the mission goes ahead.
"The Conformist" is a great movie in which the troubled intensity of its main protagonist is only equalled by its incredible visual impact. The beauty of its opulent, stylish interiors, its ornate furniture and the sheer scale of the marble interiors of the fascist headquarters make an indelible impression as does Vittorio Storaro's stunning cinematography. His inspired use of colour, some amazing visual compositions and tilted and overhead camera angles also add immeasurably to the experience of watching this film.
There are a number of strong performances with Jean-Louis Trintignant predictably standing out. Ultimately, however, it's the story's subject matter that makes it so absorbing and the visual strength of the piece that makes it look so amazing.
With the help of his blind friend Italo (Jose Quaglio), Marcello Clerici (Jean-Louis Trintignant) becomes a secret police agent and volunteers to assassinate the leader of an anti-fascist group. The man in question is Marcello's former university professor Luca Quadri (Enzo Tarascio) who, because of his political views and activism, had exiled himself in Paris.
Marcello had always felt an outsider because of his privileged upbringing and visits he makes to his father (who's in an insane asylum) and his morphine-addicted mother (who's having an affair with her chauffeur), leave him feeling even more troubled. An incident that happened in his early teens when a chauffeur tried to molest him, left Marcello haunted both by his initial response to the situation and also the fact that he'd shot his assailant. His desperation over these issues intensified the need in him to conform to society's norms so that he could become more fully accepted by others and thereby feel more normal.
In an attempt to achieve the type of normality he craved, Marcello had become engaged to Guilia (Stefania Sandrelli), an immature middle-class young woman whose preoccupations clearly irritated him. His impending marriage gave him the opportunity to arrange a honeymoon in Paris and this in turn provided him with the pretext he needed to go to the French capital. When he makes contact with Quadri and his much younger wife Anna (Dominique Sanda), he quickly becomes filled with doubts about what he's doing because he can't help but respect his old philosophy mentor and also becomes obsessed by the bi-sexual Anna who he finds infinitely more fascinating than his own wife.
Marcello's dilemma deepens as he recognises that if he doesn't go through with the assassination he'll have lost his best opportunity to fit in with the majority of other people and it's only through the influence of a fellow agent called Manganiello (Gastone Moschin) that the mission goes ahead.
"The Conformist" is a great movie in which the troubled intensity of its main protagonist is only equalled by its incredible visual impact. The beauty of its opulent, stylish interiors, its ornate furniture and the sheer scale of the marble interiors of the fascist headquarters make an indelible impression as does Vittorio Storaro's stunning cinematography. His inspired use of colour, some amazing visual compositions and tilted and overhead camera angles also add immeasurably to the experience of watching this film.
There are a number of strong performances with Jean-Louis Trintignant predictably standing out. Ultimately, however, it's the story's subject matter that makes it so absorbing and the visual strength of the piece that makes it look so amazing.