The Conformist

[Dylan]

Where to even begin? In my opinion, "The Conformist" is among the most breathtaking films ever made, and a permanente spot in my top five favorite films of all-time. The visuals are so arresting, and consistently imaginiative and beautiful. The era it evokes (late 30s Italy/France) arguably the most attractive and appealing in history. The narrative among the most beautifully reazlied and constructed. And an ending (that is, the dir. cut ending) that never fails to emotionally paralyze me.

There's a sequence that haunts me in "Il Conformista," when Jean-Louis Trintignant is in his mother's bedroom and there are two doors into the bathroom, and as he and mother go in and out of the bathroom and the bedroom, both lit completely differently, and it tracks between them. There's also that scene when he's dancing with Stefania Sandrelli, and she's wearing that crazy black and white stripped dress, and the light is moving across them. But there's so much more. Every single shot is beautiful, every scene/character gesture/music-cue vital and important.

The cinematographer was Vittorio Storaro, and I believe that the visual strength of "The Conformist" is what most DPs strive for when they shoot a film.

Here is a terrific link discussing the production design and cinematography of the film. It also includes a sound clip of Paul Schrader sharing his feelings on the film, as well as a quicktime excerpt of the film's most famous scene: (the clip is hazy and slightly cropped, though no less stunning).

I came across a article online from February (posted on another thread) about how Paramount will speed up DVD releases of their library. Let's be hopeful "The Conformist" will be released too.

I've only seen the bootleg, which I've subjected myself to twice. Despite the picture quality, the brilliance of the film was able to shine through. But I'm desperate to see a much cleaner print.

So, any comments on the film?

[javelin]

We had a viewing of this in a film class I took 2 years ago. Not a VHS projection, but an actual film projection. Class of 20 relatively serious film students (read: good crowd.) The film was screened during a time when all of my other classes had midterms. I was cramming the night before (for psych 1A) and stayed up until 4:30. I woke up at 8:00 for the psych class, which was immediately followed by the film class. In spite of my best attempts, I couldn't stay awake. The single worst film-related memory I have.

[Dylan]

The Conformist played in Seattle recently as part of Luminous Psyche's Bertolucci series. I was thinking of taking a plane over the see it, but that would've been too much money. A shame I don't live closer to Seattle, as they were playing many Bertolucci's that month, with the final screening (The Dreamers) being accompanied with a video message from Bertolucci to the attenders.

I'm sorry that school took a toll on your golden opportunity to see this beautiful film projected. I hope you enjoy it when you finally get a chance to revisit it (hopefully when you're entirely cognizant ). We've all had to stay up until 4 or 5 in the morning, cramming for something, then having to wake up as little as three or four hours later (I think I've done this a dozen times over the last several months).

[Polybius]

All I can add to Dylan's posts is a recommendation that you also read Alberto Moravia's brilliant novel.

He's really grossly underrated, but one solace is that he has three (at least, possibly more than have slipped past me) highly regarded films based on his books: this, Le Mepris (which comes from his A Ghost at Noon) and Two Women.

[Dylan]

Alberto Moravia is probably my favorite author. "A Ghost at Noon," "The Lie," and "Two Adolecents" are all miraculous works (I haven't read "Conformist" yet). I look forward to reading more by him, particularly "Time of Indifference."

And yes, he is criminally underrated. I had a hell of a time finding any of his books in my town, though I found the three above mentioned cheap at used book stores (first editions, too). His writings are an artistic inspiration on my own work, and I wish he was more well known.

Indeed he seems to translate into film flawlessly. "Il Conformista" and "Contempt" are among my all-time favorite films. I haven't seen "Two Women" yet, waiting for a letterboxed English-subtitled DVD of that.

[Martha]

And yes, he is criminally underrated. I had a hell of a time finding any of his books in my town, though I found the three above mentioned cheap at used book stores (first editions, too). His writings are an artistic inspiration on my own work, and I wish he was more well known.

Just FYI, it's quite easy to find at least Contempt and Boredom these days, as the New York Review of Books re-issued them several years ago.

[ltfontaine]

Can anyone identify the piece of music that plays through the final moments of the film? It features a haunting, melancholy female group vocal that begins as a shadowed figure puts the needle down on a phonograph record and plays, as I recall, through the film's closing credits. I don't believe it is part of Delerue's score and have never encountered it on any of the soundtrack recordings for this title.

[Dylan]

That song haunts me, I just love it, and it creates an astonishing soundscape. I've looked many places for the name of the song, and have come up with nothing. Maybe Bertolucci knows? I'd actually love a CD with songs just like that...the old, aging sound, in particular, is just chilling.

[Gregory]

There's a message board that seems to have its share of Delerue fans. I'll bet if you posted there you'd get an answer.

[atcolomb]

I wish Paramount studios would get off their ass and release it on dvd!!
It's on vhs and laserdisc but the picture is pan and scan with weak colors!
Somebody has to release it one of these days!

[Polybius]

The OAR is listed as 1.85:1 at the IMDB. Out of nothing but idle curiosity, is that accurate?

[Dylan]

Has anybody else been able to catch this in the theater in the past few months? It is my understanding that it is playing in a few places around the country at the moment (though nowhere near me). I'd like to hear more thoughts on the film.

Dylan

[Brian Oblivious]

I saw it in San Francisco a few weeks ago. It was my first time seeing the film. I don't have time to post extensive thoughts on it, but suffice to say I can understand why its sometimes compared to Citizen Kane (I think I've read that somewhere), as it is another film that is really utilizing the full toolbox of cinema techniques in the service of its themes and story. One scene that stands out right now for me is the one where he approaches his mother's house, in which shot after shot is an extreme dutch angle. In most films I'd consider this a distracting gimmick, but here, in the context of the other things Bertolucci is doing, it really works.

On this first viewing, it was a bit difficult after the frightening absurdity of the Italian scenes to get into the more "normalized" rhythms of the Paris scenes, but I never had the feeling that it all wasn't part of the director's plan for the film.

[kazantzakis]

On this first viewing, it was a bit difficult after the frightening absurdity of the Italian scenes to get into the more "normalized" rhythms of the Paris scenes, but I never had the feeling that it all wasn't part of the director's plan for the film.

That is the whole point no? Even the color palette changes as they cross the border. And the architecture, and the people in the streets. France was a free country.

[Brian Oblivious]

That is the whole point no? Even the color palette changes as they cross the border. And the architecture, and the people in the streets. France was a free country.

Yes, precisely. Though I didn't really sense exactly what was happening while it was. It was only after the film was finished that I realized why that segment felt so much different from the rest of the film. Maybe that just proves I'm dumb. Either way, its clearly a film that will reward multiple viewings.

[Dylan]

Can anyone identify the piece of music that plays through the final moments of the film? It features a haunting, melancholy female group vocal that begins as a shadowed figure puts the needle down on a phonograph record and plays, as I recall, through the film's closing credits. I don't believe it is part of Delerue's score and have never encountered it on any of the soundtrack recordings for this title.

This question was recently answered on IMDB. The group that performs this song is "Trio Lescano."

There is a CD available in the US from Amazon. From the sound clips, it definitely sounds like the same group.

Unfortunately though, it doesn't include the song in question, and a brief Internet search for other CDs by this group revealed no additional CD releases (though maybe somebody here familiar with an Italian music e-tailer can look into it).

And it looks like the rumor on the Paramount thread never made it over here. A member on the IMDB claims that they spoke with somebody from Paramount who informed them that the company has acquired the rights to released "Conformista" after numerous issues over who owns it, and that in August it should be released.

Personally, unless it's announced in the next month, I'm doubtful of that. However, the exciting July 8th airing on Turner Classic Movies of the restored, letterboxed, Italian version indicates that a DVD release isn't too far off (hopefully by the year's end).

[ltfontaine]

This question was recently answered on IMDB. The group that performs this song is "Trio Lescano."

Thanks, Dylan! The picture on wikipedia sure looks like the group sounds. We're closing in on this one.

[der_Artur]

I have seen the movie just yesterday and yes, it is definitely a masterpiece. The great cinematography has been topic of so many discussions, so I doubt i could ad anything interesting to it.
The Film Historian who showed it too us was mainly talking about the use of cold-warm / blue-red contrast in this movie but also in other works of Storaro. Here this contrast is not only used to separate interiors from the outside world, but also to show the cozy atmosphere fascistic italy has for the Trintignant character and how dangerous and repulsing france is for him and actually, how dangerous this time was a free thinking person like Quadri.
An other interesting point I thought about was the psychoanalytic theme in the movie. In a great flashback (which is initiated when Clerici is followed by a car and at nearly the same time during the confessional) we see the crucial experience which made him suppress his homo- or bi-sexuality, and actually made him act conformistic, since before this moment he is bullied by classmates for not being like them. In the final scene this crucial moment is negated, and Clerici realizes, that even he can not suppress his true self just for conformitys sake.
That are just two great aspects of form and story, but there is so much more we did not even mention during the discussion after the viewing.
It really is a shame that this is not released yet.

I hope you understand a little bit of what I try to say, despite my bad grammar and even more holey vocabulary.

[stroszeck]

I just missed the screening at SF a couple months ago, but I was wondering does anyone have any idea when we could expect this thing on DVD? I mean we have all sorts of crap out there (and yes, some of the criterion stuff is included) that are getting all sorts of deluxe treatments and this and that -- LA COMMARE SECCA is on DVD....DIRECTOR APPROVED NO LESS, by Bertolucci himself and no Conformist?

There must be some serious legal issues with this thing, cause in the end, wouldn't Bertolucci fight to get this thing released? It's one of his masterpieces, right?

[Andre Jurieu]

...wouldn't Bertolucci fight to get this thing released? It's one of his masterpieces, right?

I believe Bertolucci recently stated in an interview (Premiere maybe?) that he really isn't greatly concerned about his films being made available on DVD. I have no idea why he isn't concerned, but I'll attempt to dig up the article.

[atcolomb]

In july TCM (Turner Classic Movies) will show the movie letterboxed so iam hoping that a dvd release will come out soon. I noticed that when a movie is shown for the first time on TCM i see it later on dvd.

[Dylan]

stroszeck and atcolomb,

A poster on the IMDB message board said that they talked with somebody who works at Paramount about "The Conformist," saying that Paramount had to negotiate the rights with an Austrialian funder, which is why a release hasn't occured. Ultimately, the poster was informed that "The Conformist" was likely coming out on DVD by August of this year. However, since there hasn't been an announcement yet, I doubt it will be coming out that soon. I'd venture to guess that we'll see it on DVD by the year's end.

Until then, the highly anticipated TCM broadcast of the restored version will suffice.

Dylan

[flambeur]

It's playing at Cinematheque in Toronto on Aug 16-18th..I've seen it here once before and hope to make it again this summer.

[mute nostril agony]

I went to the LA film festival screening of The Conformist last week. It was my first time watching the movie. I think it was expertly photographed and acted, but it wasn't quite my cup of tea. The dance of the blind sequence was not quite what I had imagined in my mind. Maybe the film will fare better with me after a repeated viewing. I did hear a lot of buzz from a few people there about the film being out on dvd soon.

[Polybius]

Okay, my fellow Americans, let's not forget this is airing at 2:00 A.M. this morning, or later tonight (19 hours from now 8-) ) on TCM, (channel 256 for those of us w/ DirecTV =D> )

Be back later to discuss it in more depth.