The Traitor (Il traditore)

From teenage rebellion to religious institutions to political subversion, the films of Italian director Marco Bellocchio have explored the social and political contradictions of his country. His prolific 50-year career has been closely intertwined with the complexities and discrepancies of Italian history. Bellocchio’s works are known for being politically-engaged and often attacking symbols of Italian conformism. His darkly funny debut feature, 1965’s Fists in the Pocket, about an existentially-tormented teenager, is often credited with having anticipated the youth rebellion that would shake the foundations of Italian society. Throughout the 1970s, Bellocchio’s cinema explored the political tumult of the time. He denounced religion with 1971’s In the Name of the Father and the military with 1976’s Victory March. From the 1980s on, Bellocchio’s films have often focused on coming to terms with a personally and politically turbulent past. He has questioned ideologies and moral issues and fought to make sense of his characters’ motives. His films compose a rich, fascinating and humane investigation of Italian life, whether modern or historical. Bellocchio was born in Piacenza, Italy, in 1939. In 1959, he suspended his studies in philosophy at Milan’s Catholic University to enroll at the Experimental Center for Cinematography in Rome. He made several short films in the early 1960s and studied at London’s Slade School of Fine Arts. Bellocchio was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice International Film Festival in 2011.