Bernardo Bertolucci’s stunning film is about a troubled character whose childhood trauma may explain his adult obsession with conforming to the morality and politics of fascist Italy. Bertolucci combines his Freudian and political preoccupations to provide an astute and witty demonstration of how the search for normality ends in the inevitable discovery that there is no such thing. The film’s richly evocative and expressive style draws from the entire history of cinematic devices, with a particularly outstanding use of lighting, editing, composition and camera movement.
Italy-France-W. Germany, 1969. English subtitles. Colour. 115 mins.