Fashion Inspiration: The Conformist

Some films tend to stick out in my mind after I've seen them. Either I can't stop thinking about the story or the look of the film, a particular character or the costumes. Usually though, all of these factors combine to make a picture appeal to me in so many ways that my mind always wanders back to it, no matter how long its been since I've seen it...and then I have to see it again:)  The Conformist is one of these. If I were to boil the thrust of the movie down to a one sentence, I'd say that its a highly stylized contemplation of fascism seen through the life (mostly in flash backs) of one man: Marcello, the ultimate aspiring conformist. Set it the 1930's, it features fabulous costumes from the era, art deco architecture and incredible lighting that reinforces the plot and action. I tried to find stills from one of my favorite scenes in the film where the two women go shopping in Paris, but could only locate a head shot of Dominique Sanda as Anna and Jean-Louis Trintignant as Marcello. For me, it might just be a perfect film: intellectually and visually stimulating, the sumptuous period elements draw me further into the ideas of the film.

Fashion-wise, I think my favorite of all these stills is the last one of Anna, lounging in a chair in her slacks and oxfords. In the scene preceding this, she slinks through an apartment full of male intellectuals (headed by her much-older husband) looking all tom-boyish, exuding bravura and sex appeal. I've been looking for a pair of shoes just like that for ages and only just realized today that her pair probably inspired by desire for them (after so many viewings). I think she's just perfect.