The Underlying Theme of the Conformist - Essay Example

The Underlying Theme of the Movie - The Conformist Introduction: The Conformist is a political thriller directed by Bernardo Bertolucci in 1970, based on a novel under the same name by Alberto Moravia. The film features Jean-Louis Trintignant as Marcello Clerici and Stefania Sandrelli as Giulia. It is considered one of the best films ever directed by Bertolucci. This movie is an example of an elegantly intrigued photographed study of the twisted Italian characters of the 1930s. The film makes a provocative connection between psychosexual dysfunction and fascist politics.

       ‘The Conformist' details the story of a weak-willed Italian man, Marcello Clerici who has suffered childhood sexual trauma at the hand of a homosexual and has a dysfunctional middle-class family background. He is simultaneously presented as a suitably murky protagonist who goes abroad to arrange the assassination of his old professor, who is now an anti-Fascist leader living an exiled life in Paris. Clerici is a Conformist who is very anxious to live a normal life and tries hard at his level best to fit in the society in every possible way.

The film beautifully portrays a man's psychological need to 'conform' and to be 'normal' at the social level; particularly in general as well as at the political level. Underlying Theme: The predominant theme of the film is conformity. Clerici has an excessive urge to lead a life of normality-'to fit' perfectly in society. Like any other man, he is seeking acceptance from society and to take a position that would lead him to his ultimate goal in life. He is deeply driven by his bitter memories of childhood and in this way, he hopes to escape the demolishing outcomes of his mother and father.

One might also contemplate that Clerici is often chased by his repressed homosexual urge which he feared might emerge as it is against the norms of society. The mindset of people to fit in certain fixed norms of society predominantly gives birth to movements like Fascism and Nazism and nourishes them accordingly. In The Conformist, the lead character symbolizes the whole Italian mass. He has been portrayed as an intense conformist and a blind follower of fascist leaders.  Bertolucci has also added the stem of Plato's Republic to the storyline which was not the part of the novel.

It is precisely depicted in the portion of the movie in which Clerici considers the cave metaphor in the office of his old mentor.  When Quadry closes the window, a shadow appears on the wall of the room, just as in Plato's metaphor. For Clerici, bitter childhood memories start playing as shadows in his mind which confuses him with reality. Clerici could have dealt wisely in avoiding his unknown fears and memories of the past if only he could have spotted them as illusions which would eventually help him to find his desired long-awaited life without any further pain.

The entire film can be pictured as an assertion of Plato's meditation and the circumstances that excel it.   The third theme of the film is 'the implied connection between sexual repression and fascism '' though not very authentic in the concept it has played an influential role in the movie. I personally didn't find this very convincing. However, there are a number of similar concepts that have been conveyed through various political philosophies in history. For instance, Hitler has often been impersonated as a repressed homosexual.

Certainly, sexual repression can be a reason for making many abrupt decisions that people do in life. But, it would be unfair to consider that individuals who support extreme political groups are only those who are either sexually suppressed or suffer from a psychological disorder (D. Thomson, 2008). Conclusion: The Conformist is surely an unforgettable masterpiece loved by every film critic. The film fundamentally functions as an accusation of fascism and its adherent. But deeper threads also examine a man's attitude towards the value of patriotism, love, family, marriage, sex, and death.

It also explores the consequences of homosexual repression. It is a stunning film with brilliant direction and cinematography. This film has received many positive reviews from the majority of the critics. In 2010, this film was ranked among the top 100 movies by Empire Magazine for its bold theme and the storyline.