While “Last Tango and Paris’ and ‘The Last Emperor’ have received the most attention, this Italian director’s most important work may be the cirminally underappreciated 1972 film, ‘The Conformist’

Fearless in his depictions of intimacy, relentless in digging deep into the soul of his subjects, masterful at creating unforgettable images

Bertolucci is a master at exploring how inner politics, as well as the chaotic changes of the politics of the outside world, determine his characters’ fate