The Conformist

Along with The Passenger<,/i> here’s another seventies-vintage Italian film being feted with an anniversary re-release. Why spend eight bucks to see this one on the big screen? Well, when it’s a lush noir masterpiece that influenced everything from The Godfather triology to Reservoir Dogs, and was written by Marxists against fascism yet resonates with fresh meaning today, and is considered among the most beautiful films of all time; what more do you want? The new King Kong? Bernardo Bertolucci succeeded in spite of–or because of–a terribly limited budget, relying on stunning camerawork and odd lighting and costume design to help reflect the conflicting emotions of the film’s somber protagonist, a desperate young man in an Italy gone insane under Mussolini. Once he is recruited by the fascists to murder a beloved former professor, this film starts clicking on every level: as a political thriller, a feast for the eyes, even as a primer to the history of cinema (countless films have aspired to its stylish look). 612-825-6006; www.landmarktheatres.com