In this episode of the Fascism on Film Podcast, we look at Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Conformist (1970), a story about Marcello Clerici, a man in Mussolini’s Italy sent to Paris to spy on—and kill—his former professor, a socialist in exile. It’s also a study of how personal weakness and the desire to “fit in” can lead to serving an authoritarian state.

Bertolucci said the film is less about historical fascism than about the psychology that feeds it. Marcello wants a normal life—marriage, church, a respectable job—but those goals are tied to repression, fear, and loyalty to the regime. His path follows Robert Paxton’s stages of fascism, ending in violence.

The film’s look is deliberate. Shot by Vittorio Storaro, The Conformist mixes fascist architecture with the style of 1930s “white telephone” films, where elegance hides the political reality. The visuals show how beauty can be used to make authoritarian power seem natural.

Bertolucci combines Marxist and Freudian ideas, linking Marcello’s politics to childhood trauma and repressed desire. He changes his behavior to suit whoever he’s with—flattering targets in Paris, repeating slogans to fascist officials, turning on former allies when the regime falls.

Unlike direct propaganda, The Conformist shows fascism as something people step into willingly, seeing it as a path to safety or belonging. It reminds us that the appeal of fascism can come not from fear alone, but from the promise of order and a place in the world.