The Conformist
We continue our series on actors and actresses by featuring a remarkable artist, whose filmography alone represents a significant contribution to the performing arts.
A coward, haunted by memories from his youth—the murder of a man who tried to abuse him—joins the fascist party to gain respectability.
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. He is considered one of the greatest directors in the history. A protégé of Pier Paolo Pasolini, Bertolucci made his directorial debut at 22. His second film, Before the Revolution (1964), earned strong international reviews and has since gained classic status, as did The Conformist (1970). Other Bertolucci films such as the erotic drama Last Tango in Paris (1972), the historical epic 1900 (1976), the family drama La Luna (1979), and the darkly comedic Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man (1981), were all controversial but acclaimed. With The Last Emperor (1987) he became the first Italian filmmaker to win the Academy Award for Best Director. This was the start of what has since been described as his "Oriental Trilogy", a trio of films including The Sheltering Sky (1990), and Little Buddha (1993), all three of which feature scores by Ryuichi Sakamoto. He continued directing well into the 21st century, releasing his final film, Me and You, in 2012. Bertolucci's films often deal with themes of politics, sexuality, history, class conflict and social taboos, and his style has influenced several filmmakers.
