Film Analysis The Conformist
Film Analysis: The Conformist
The Conformist, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci portrays the struggle of Marcello Clerici, who is torn between two worlds. To emphasize this battle between good and evil, right and wrong, the production design and visual composition include an excellent use of light and shadow. In particular, it was quite compelling to see the lighting shift as Clerici vacillated between being a good fascist and living a normal life. In virtually every scene that highlighted fascism the lighting was monotone and blue, but in the scenes that portrayed normalcy -- i.e. scenes with his mother, Giulia and Anna -- the colors were bright and warm. The exception to this rule, which added stark contrast to Clerici’s struggle, was the extreme brightness of the scene when Clerici was given a gun and ordered to kill his college mentor. This change in lighting presented the extremes of fascism as morally right, which is at the heart of Clerici’s internal debate. The gun returned later in the film when Clerici tried to give it to Manganiello. During their conversation, as Manganiello tries to convince Clerici to follow through with his mission, the light swings back and forth transitioning the men from light to shadow, which emphasized their disagreement.
Other elements worth noting are the use of long shadows in the fascist headquarters that underscore what they would consider the majesty of their work, the bright almost ethereal look of the scene when he meets his father, and the drab look in the car as Clerici and Manganiello try to catch up to Professor Quadri.
There are many other visual elements worth mentioning, but the two that I thought were executed well were Clerici at confession and Clerici’s first meeting with Professor Quadri. In the former the lighting was the reverse of what you would expect – Clerici was brightly lit while the priest was in extreme-low lighting. Clerici’s dialog along with this lighting indicated that he thought his life and his
The Conformist, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci portrays the struggle of Marcello Clerici, who is torn between two worlds. To emphasize this battle between good and evil, right and wrong, the production design and visual composition include an excellent use of light and shadow. In particular, it was quite compelling to see the lighting shift as Clerici vacillated between being a good fascist and living a normal life. In virtually every scene that highlighted fascism the lighting was monotone and blue, but in the scenes that portrayed normalcy -- i.e. scenes with his mother, Giulia and Anna -- the colors were bright and warm. The exception to this rule, which added stark contrast to Clerici’s struggle, was the extreme brightness of the scene when Clerici was given a gun and ordered to kill his college mentor. This change in lighting presented the extremes of fascism as morally right, which is at the heart of Clerici’s internal debate. The gun returned later in the film when Clerici tried to give it to Manganiello. During their conversation, as Manganiello tries to convince Clerici to follow through with his mission, the light swings back and forth transitioning the men from light to shadow, which emphasized their disagreement.
Other elements worth noting are the use of long shadows in the fascist headquarters that underscore what they would consider the majesty of their work, the bright almost ethereal look of the scene when he meets his father, and the drab look in the car as Clerici and Manganiello try to catch up to Professor Quadri.
There are many other visual elements worth mentioning, but the two that I thought were executed well were Clerici at confession and Clerici’s first meeting with Professor Quadri. In the former the lighting was the reverse of what you would expect – Clerici was brightly lit while the priest was in extreme-low lighting. Clerici’s dialog along with this lighting indicated that he thought his life and his
Cited: The Conformist. Dir. Bernardo. Bertolucci. Perf. Jean-Louis Trintignant, Stefania Sandrelli, Gastone Moschin. Paramount Pictures, 1970.