Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci in 1970, the Italian political drama Il Conformista (The Conformist) follows Marcello Clerici, who has just accepted a job working for Mussolini, on his mission to assassinate his former professor – a candid Anti-Fascist. The story is told through a series of flashbacks that serve to piece together the story’s exposition.
This film has been on my “To Watch” list for some time now. I originally heard of it at AbelCine’s Creative Forces Event with Rohn Schmidt. Schmidt has worked as the DP (Director of Photography) on the Walking Dead, Chicago P.D., The Mist, and The Shield to name a few [imdb.com]. He went through a list of his favorite films for cinematography and showed clips from each. I remember that he was especially enthusiastic about the beautiful compositions and thoughtful lighting in Il Conformista.
After watching the film for myself, I knew I had to share some of the gorgeous shots with all of you. If this inspires you to watch it, keep in mind that the film is not shy about handling some very sensitive material.
Last but definitely not least – HUGE PROPS to Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro!
This is only a selection of some of my favorites! I left out quite a few. The only way to get your cinema nerd fix is to watch the film in its entirety.
You can rent it on iTunes in HD for $3.99.