Finally, "The Conformists" is here. It's about time!

Possibly the greatest film all time!
On an unofficial tour, Bernardo Bertolucci's lost masterpiece made its way to Portland. Their has been a restored subtitled print going around, but no word of it hitting to DVD. It is one of the most important films of the 70's and it's original negative is lost. Their was a revival tour back in 1994, I was too young to understand the concept of the "Conformist" and instead later watched it on cable. The funny thing is, is that they been showing "The Conformist' on cable for awhile during high school. It was funny, because they would show it on Cinemax, and I always wondered how they get the print to this. Other cinephile's proclaim that it is one of the best films ever and is rarely hard to see the uncut version. So the version I was raised on was the dubbed copy, Cinemax and HBO would show it uncut, but couldn't get the subtitled version. They would show uncut, but the controversial "Dance of the Blind"(Which I would be talking about later on) was took out from theatrical release. So Cinemax and HBO had the uncut version but didn't have the subtitled print and would show that whole sequence(Dance of the Blind) without sound. I would watch it and wonder what their is going on, as time went on I would watch it regular on cable and watch the same sequence and try to read lips. Pretty ghetto, but who cares. As Henri Langlois would say is that when he showedBuster Keaton films with Czech title cards and people would complain, he would say,"Why do you need title cards for Buster Keaton. I do it for the audience to sharpen their senses". True, but I thought that in my life time I would never see it uncut, subtitled with sound and on the big screen. Then came Friday, at the glorious Cinema 21, up in Northwest. They showed a restored print of "The Conformists" on the first day of December. Merry Christmas to me!
The first quarter of the movie feels very Godardian, in matter fact it is. It feels wrong of me to quote Pauline Kael, but she said that everyone copies Godard, but no one has extended his views than Bernardo Bertolucci. Which is true, because Bertolucci puts more beauty into it than Godard does. Not saying he's better, but rather just copying Godard, Bertolucci relishes his techniques in beautiful back drop, camera work and gorgeous cinematography from Victorio Storaro. That's looking from the outside, it is what's inside the film that makes it stand alone.
The awesome Jean-Louis Trignant plays a Marcello Clerici, a fascist coward that is willing to conform to be "normal". He longs for normality, but later regrets its. He is assigned to assassinate his former mentor. Bertolucci tells the story in a non-linear format starting from Marcello going to his assignment which is an assassination, notice the theme music and how it will stick with you after the movie while walking to the bus. Its beautiful, the complex shots that alternate the shadows when Trintignant is walking the streets. The huge takes that follow Trigtignant that is synch with the music. It's an exercise in style, but not over substance.
The non-linear format sets up a character study of why Marcello is doing this and his past that haunts him and later gives him an urge to be normal. You look at this character and realize that he's a bitch and wonder why you're following him, but Bertolucci has love for him and with the teaching of Godard makes him look cool. It's like he's making fascism cool, and he succeeds at doing so. The scene when Marcello is young boy which gives an insight that isn't wasted towards the film, where he is molested by an hermophodite driver. It's hard to watch, but gives more depth to Marcello. I know you're not suppose to like the character, but you'll understand his right to complain about normality.
The scene that I never heard the dialogue before which is the "Dance of the Blind" scene, where a group of blind people are having a party at a house boat (funny concept). His friend Italo, who is blind and a true fascist talks to Marcello about love and politics. I finally watched it on the screen and heard the dialogue, and for whatever reason it was taken out of initial release is a shame. It wasn't pointless, it was beautiful and gave more insight into the politics of fascism. Which is easy to understand, but gave the reasons why these characters are fascist.
Bertolucci may be hit and miss, and I mean hit-and-miss. He sure has missed, but when he's on it...he knows how to make a great movie. I respect him more as person talking about films than an actual filmmaker. I notice from this films till his last is that the films are different, but he hasn't lost his style.

By all means try to see this, do whatever you can. I doubt their ever movie again in Portland and anywhere else. If it comes your way, go see it. You will not be disappointed. Please someone buy the rights to this film and put it out on DVD. Please Paramount, enough begging!