Chiaroscuro in The Conformist
By Alexandra Sepe
Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Conformist is filled with stunning visuals allegorizing the politics of fascist Italy, as well as precise camerawork and cutting which make its tragedies apparent.
The film follows 34-year-old Marcello Clerici (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a member of Italy’s fascist secret police, as he is given the order to assassinate his outspokenly anti-fascist former university professor, Luca Quadri, in Paris. Despite Marcello’s political façade, viewers come to understand him as a man burdened by repressed memories and sexual anxieties, which inadvertently manifest throughout the film. Vittorio Storaro, the film’s cinematographer, who has also worked on films such as Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, uses chiaroscuro (light and shadow), a high-contrast lighting technique, to perfectly encapsulate Marcello’s repressed identity.
A moment in the film that portrays Storaro’s use of the technique is the confession scene with the Catholic priest. During this scene, Marcello attempts to reconcile with his past by coming forward about a traumatizing sexual encounter he had with a man named Lino during his youth. The lighting here is critical in understanding Marcello’s moral conscience.
In the scene, the priest lurks in a dark shadow on one side of the booth, while Marcello sits opposite him, relatively illuminated. Traditionally, in the Catholic Church, priesthood embodies moral goodness, but the priest’s darkness is emblematic of the corruption of institutions, particularly during times of political extremism, like fascist Italy. Marcello’s partial illumination, on the other hand, serves to show that he is on the road to becoming a truer version of himself. The corrupt priest, however, continually challenges him about the basis of his confession (the sexual encounters with men). By diminishing the effects of Marcello’s sexual encounters have had on his character, the priest effectively halts his progress in breaking free from being, as the title suggests, a conformist.
Marcello ultimately succumbs to the priest’s pestering. This theme of his conformance to societal standards, rather than fighting for his own, is evident throughout the film. In an interview, Storaro stated, “I wanted to show through light the idea of claustrophobia, of being caged.” Marcello’s partial illumination underscores his moral dilemma and, ultimately, cages him in a state of conformity.
There are a multitude of other scenes that showcase Storaro and Bertolucci’s genius, with the most significant one, perhaps, being when Marcello visits Quadri in his study. In the scene, Marcello begins to recite Plato’s Allegory of the cave. Plato’s myth, accompanied by the use of chiaroscuro, serves to allegorize not just Marcello’s repression of morals by being a part of the fascist secret police, but also Quadri’s “cop out” in running away to a democratic Paris, rather than fighting for his own country.
The Conformist is riddled with scenes that are worth dissecting and unpacking to their core. So, I’ll refrain from spoiling how it ends, as I believe everyone should watch it at least once.
I used to watch films without giving much thought to the individuals behind the camera. After watching this film, I understand why every element of a movie—from cinematography to direction—is critical to its impact and success. So when you’re settling down for a movie marathon, as I’m sure you’ll do at some point, don’t forget to add The Conformist to your list.
