: The film argues that fascism often stems from a personal crisis of individuality. Marcello (Jean-Louis Trintignant) joins the secret police not out of ideological conviction, but to disappear into the crowd.

Shadows of the Psyche: The Conformist - American Cinematographer

: Traumatized by a violent sexual encounter in his youth, Marcello marries a "mediocre" woman and accepts a mission to assassinate his former anti-fascist mentor in Paris just to prove he belongs.