The Conformist

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1:40

The Conformist

R

1970

1h 51m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

57 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In Mussolini's Italy, repressed Jean-Louis Trintignant, trying to purge memories of a youthful, homosexual episode -- and murder -- joins the Fascists in a desperate attempt to fit in. As the reluctant Judas motors to his personal Gethsemane (the assassination of his leftist mentor), he flashes back to a dance party for the blind; an insane asylum in a stadium; and wife Stefania Sandrelli and lover Dominique Sanda dancing the tango in a working class hall. But those are only a few of this political thriller's anthology pieces, others including Trintignant's honeymoon coupling with Sandrelli in a train compartment as the sun sets outside their window; a bimbo lolling on the desk of a fascist functionary, glimpsed in the recesses of his cavernous office; a murder victim's hands leaving bloody streaks on a limousine parked in a wintry forest.

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Critics Consensus

A commentary on fascism and beauty alike, Bernardo Bertolucci's The Conformist is acclaimed for its sumptuous visuals and extravagant, artful cinematography.

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Aja Romano

Vox

Dec 3, 2018

It's easy to overlook how stark The Conformist's political and allegorical message is because it's just so damn beautiful.

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Keith Phipps

The Dissolve

Nov 24, 2014

5/5

It's yesteryear remembered with a combination of nostalgia and repulsion, a queasy combination that defines the film and gives it a kind of hideous allure.

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Andrew O'Hehir

Salon.com

Aug 29, 2014

The unsettling blend of images and ideas in this movie cannot satisfactorily be disentangled or decoded, and it's the very strangeness of Bertolucci's masterpiece that has made it so influential in cinema history.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Jan 6, 2026

5/5

…a classic tale of ‘slaughter and melancholy’ that feels more relevant in 2026 than ever…the literal smoke and mirrors look created by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro evokes a huge emotional range of images, from cold and clinical to warm and sensual…

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Ray Pride

Newcity

May 14, 2023

10/10

Lush, even drenching 1970 masterpiece... A cinematic confection of near-perfection at high velocity, its stylistic prowess and textural largesse is often cited as a major influence by [may major] directors including Steven Spielberg.

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Apr 20, 2023

All this adds up to something more than mere style, or mannerism—even if it was not a very precise match to Moravia’s coolly detached prose, which perhaps more exactly portrayed Marcello’s amoral soullessess...

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Kyle M

@RT77296778 Apr 28, 2026

A further breakthrough for Bertolucci bolstered by his visual style via the hypnotic cinematography’s attempted immersion that neatly captures the mustered humanity in the performative convictions comprehending the discourse’s complex dissolution substantially haunted over considerable exploration. (B+)

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Chris M.

@a10tive1 Nov 30, 2025

A stunningly photographed film that will have you dreaming of becoming a cinematographer. Storaro was running on inspiration.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Sep 8, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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bob c

@RT46426964 Jun 10, 2025

A 1970 Italian political parable set in 1930s. Nicely filmed and restored. The political stuff is like being hit over the head with it, 1960s style. So: a dated classic for your memory archive.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 8, 2025

Success in 1 hour and 51 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!! In Italian and English versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Dani G

@RT81139271 Mar 18, 2025

Honestly, I didn't got it entirely. It kept me interested, but I was missing something I think

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Bernardo Bertolucci

Director

Jean-Louis Trintignant

Marcello

Stefania Sandrelli

Giulia

Dominique Sanda

Anna Quadri

Pierre Clémenti

Lino

Gastone Moschin

Manganiello

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Synopsis

In Mussolini's Italy, repressed Jean-Louis Trintignant, trying to purge memories of a youthful, homosexual episode -- and murder -- joins the Fascists in a desperate attempt to fit in. As the reluctant Judas motors to his personal Gethsemane (the assassination of his leftist mentor), he flashes back to a dance party for the blind; an insane asylum in a stadium; and wife Stefania Sandrelli and lover Dominique Sanda dancing the tango in a working class hall. But those are only a few of this political thriller's anthology pieces, others including Trintignant's honeymoon coupling with Sandrelli in a train compartment as the sun sets outside their window; a bimbo lolling on the desk of a fascist functionary, glimpsed in the recesses of his cavernous office; a murder victim's hands leaving bloody streaks on a limousine parked in a wintry forest.

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Producer: Maurizio Lodi-Fè
Screenwriter: Bernardo Bertolucci, Alberto Moravia
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Mars Film, Marianne Productions, Maran Film
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 22, 1970, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jan 6, 2023
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 24, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $179.7K
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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