Maestro Bernardo Bertolucci's timeless masterpiece, Il Conformista, in the new version restored in 4K by the Cineteca di Bologna with Minerva Pictures and the Bertolucci Foundation, made its debut in New York on January 6th at the iconic Film Forum.
After the presentation earlier in 2022 at the opening of the 36th edition of the renowned Cinema Ritrovato festival in Bologna by the incomparable Stefania Sandrelli herself, the legendary Film Forum in New York was the first North American theatre for the distribution of the film, which then arrived in a few selected cities in the United States.
If you have missed the opportunity to watch it on the big screen or you want to live again this incredible aesthetic experience, you now have the privilege of watching this historical capolavoro from the comfort of your home thanks to Movieitaly, the first on-demand streaming platform with only the best of Italian cinema both of the past and of current days, made by the iconic performers and the great timeless directors. With over 300 titles, followed up by 10 monthly new releases, its library features the works of legendary directors like Bernardo Bertolucci but also Michelangelo Antonioni, Lina Wertmuller, Vittorio De Sica, Claudio Caligari, Ferzan Ozpetek, and Marco Tullio Giordana and the iconic performances of global stars like Alberto Sordi, Sophia Loren, Anna Magnani, Monica Vitti, Marcello Mastroianni, Valeria Golino, Valerio Mastandrea, Alessandro Borghi, Salvatore Esposito and many others.
Based on the homonymous novel by Alberto Moravia, the film features the spellbinding performances of Stefania Sandrelli, Dominique Sanda and of the recently passed Jean-Louis Trintignant, an international film star that has contributed enormously to Italian cinema.
Il Conformista is not only undoubtedly one of Bertolucci’s most visually elegant works, thanks to the photography of the great 3 times Oscar winner Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor), but also one of the most thrilling political dramas that inspired generations of filmmakers. Critics argued it offered a blueprint for a new kind of Hollywood film, inspiring New Hollywood directors: Francis Ford Coppola for example has referenced some images from the film for the shooting of The Godfather, Part II (1974), and it ultimately became influential also for a few episodes of The Sopranos, in particular the one directed by Steve Buscemi that echoes explicitly mood, lighting and setting.
Moreover, it is not widely known that when Il Conformista first arrived in the States in the early 1970s, it was hindered by strong anti-fascist propaganda, which considered the film's issues as an unacceptable reenactment of historically controversial events. It was only thanks to the efforts of major filmmakers who understood the film's great aesthetic and historical value, such as Coppola, Spielberg, Scorsese and Michael Cimino, that the film was finally released in the US.
The film is also shot in some of Rome’s most iconic landmarks like Castel Sant’Angelo, the Colosseum and the EUR district, allowing the viewer to travel to the Eternal City with their eyes and dive into the past of Italy.
Italian cinema lovers, cinephiles who love art movies and the classics but also second- and third-generation Italians who maintain their connection to their origins will not want to miss the chance of watching, either for the first time or for an essential rewatch, this enchanting cinematic experience on Movieitaly.
Movieitaly features many masterpieces that have made history but also offers a vast selection of Italian cinema to cater the needs of those who love genre, comedies and popular cinema: swords&sandals, giallos, 70s and 80s horrors, and of course even Adriano Celentano! All in original language with English subtitles, with a special collection with French subtitles, for real cinema lovers across the world.
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You can watch Movieitaly on your computer at the link www.movieitaly.net, or download the app on your phone through the Apple App Store and Google Play. The app is available also for Chromecast, Airplay and Samsung and LG SmartTV, and will be soon on Roku.