The Conformist
1969
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
I have dedicated today completely to catching up on all my blogs and if that means neglecting some housework, so be it! I have been behind for weeks now and am very eager to watch some new movies. Until that happy moment arrives, though, we must talk about The Conformist.
Marcello Clerici is in Paris to assassinate his former college professor. In a series of flashbacks, we learn about Marcello's past, which includes homosexual encounters, an awkward marriage, and an affair with the professor's wife. Basically, this man is just a horrible person but we are supposed to find him fascinating. Sounds like every guy I have ever gone a date with, come to think of it.
I have really been hating on the recent string of films and from the looks of what we have lined up, that is not going to change anytime soon. I will say that it was interesting watching where loyalty to the state led during a period of revolution and change. But did anyone find these characters to be realistic or relatable in any way? They all seemed to be disturbed to some degree. I am sorry to burst any males' bubbles here, but I highly doubt that any woman would act like Anna does.
This was a sad and strange experience; I only wish that I cared a bit more about the characters. Oh well.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
The telephone number given by the operator belongs to Jean-Luc Godard.
Five new posting..all in one day.. that's putting the pressure for 5 replies a bit high Amanda!
ReplyDeleteOn paper, this should have been a cracker for me.. and even as i watched, I kept wanting to be captivated by it.. and it never quite did. I wanted to accept the politics of it.. the guy got suckered into doing the dirty work for the Fascists as he desperately wanted to belong.. to be accepted by some grouping who would respect him.. He felt himself an out cast (presumably because of the abuse in his childhood).. and felt guilt / self disgust etc... and I liked the imagery and parallels of that..
I did, still .. moderately.. like it. I must watch it again..
Haha sorry to put the pressure on Ray! This one did not capture my interest in the slightest and I felt like I could predict everything that happened.
DeleteA first condition for relating to a character is that you actually understand what is going on. I did not understand the plot and so do not know if I can relate to the character. Sometimes narratives just get too convoluted.
ReplyDeleteThe first half made sense to me, even if presented in a surreal style. Lots of pieces, big and small, on the subject of conforming. Hey, just like the title of the movie! But then that all seemed to stop and whilst there was roughly a plot to follow, I couldn't make head nor tail of what the point was any more.
ReplyDeleteVery well shot though.