The Conformist ("Il Conformista")

The Conformist (1970) starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Stefania Sandrelli. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. In the 1930s, an Italian man named Marcello (Trintignant) seeks "normalcy" by becoming a Fascist. He becomes a member of the secret police and is assigned to assassinate a former teacher of his, an anti-Fascist who lives in Paris. Much of the story takes place in flashback as we see past traumas Marcello has suffered. The movie is so gorgeously filmed and the set design is so splendid that there is a tendency to not worry too much about the story. It's a solid story, though. To my surprise, Marcello never personally carries out the assassination of his former teacher, although he is present to witness it and doesn't do anything to stop it. The DVD offers a variety of language options; I chose to hear it in Italian with English subtitles. Grade: A-