Il Conformista re-visited

Rating: 7/10 (4 February 2008)

I've watched The Good Shepherd and really enjoyed it. Well written, well cast, well acted and directed with the right tone, I still believe that the narrative bites off a little bit more than it can chew. Not even a running time approaching three hours can save the film from being overly complex and a decent background in modern history would certainly help the viewer's comprehension of events unfolding on the screen.
Having said that, I believe it is a very good film indeed and clearly inspired by certain classics of the early 70s. I've noted at least one commentator, who drew valid parallels with the character of Michael Corleone as played by Al Pacino in The Godfather films. Nevertheless, I think it greatest source of thematic inspiration is Bertolucci's Il Conformista and the character of Marcello Clerici as played by Jean Louis Trintignant. In that film, the conformist of the title, plagued by his personal demons, longs to be a loyal follower, to belong to the state. In doing so, he deceives, betrays and murders, giving up his personal integrity, his humanity, his sense of self.
Il Confomista was considered a seminal masterpiece in its day, and attained a broader distribution in the United States through the intervention of bright young American directors, including Coppola, Scorsese and De Palma.