Review of The Conformist (1971) by Burton — 28 Nov 2007
Simply put, The Conformist is beautiful looking. Beyond the surface visual beauty, the film is wonderfully assembled, and full of great performances.
One of the first things I noticed was Storaro's camera movement. It tends to be slow, deliberate, and smooth as it pans and tilts around, creating some of the most wonderfully framed shots I know of. There is a good blend of wide, medium, and close angle shots, with some interesting off kilter framing here and there, as well as a plethora of extremely well balanced, symmetrically framed shots that seem to echo the fascist normality that the film makes such symbolic and literal use of.
The lighting is top notch, making excellent use of extremely controlled, shaped lights (lots of heavy shadows cutting the frame, for instance, the use of blinds on windows to create thin stripes that literally fill the entire frame). There is not a lot of strange colorful lighting (though there are a few instances where gels are used to wonderful effect).
The editing reminds me of Fellini at times, slightly off kilter, but not in a distracting way. It actually creates a strange deliberate flow for the film, despite having some strange pacing narrative-wise. The film is technically a non-linear framed narrative, as it begins with Marcello preparing the the actual assassination, then shows flashbacks of previous moments in his life in order to explain the present situation.
The only things that I felt were potential problems had to do with a lack of exposition, which left me feeling detached from the characters (especially Marcello, as there is almost no explanation as to who he is both socially and professionally.) There is no suggestion as to the timeline of events for a good chunk of the film, which I found to be difficult (granted, all of this becomes clear eventually). The set up, his becoming involved with the Fascist government, his mission, etc. are all very vague at first. All of this is of course secondary, as the film is really about Marcello as a psychological creature, with the assassination almost acting as Hitchcock's macguffin.
Don't expect balls to the wall action, this is more a character study.
Anyway, Highly recommended to anyone interested in cinematography, Italian art house, or just a downright interesting political/spy thriller/romance.
This review of The Conformist (1971) was written by Burton on 28 Nov 2007.
The Conformist has generally received very positive reviews.
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