Four-Star Films : ‘The Conformist’

Adapted by Bernardo Bertolucci from an Alberto Moravia novel, “The Conformist” is a dazzling 1970 masterpiece--at once a study of one man and an entire society. Jean-Louis Trintignant’s Marcello (pictured) is a traumatized product of a decayed aristocratic family. When we meet him at age 30 in 1937 he is a respected professor of philosophy. He’s also a repressed homosexual so determined to maintain his respectability at all costs that he is ripe for recruitment by a fascist espionage organization for a deadly mission that he believes will atone for a terrifying youthful incident. “The Conformist,” which memorably co-stars Dominique Sanda as a sexually ambiguous beauty, is not merely an indictment of fascism but also about profound personal tragedy (TMC Sunday at 8 p.m.).

Other four-star films airing this week:

8 1/2 / TMC, Sunday, 9:55 p.m.

Sherlock Jr., / AMC, Wednesday, 8:30 a.m.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers / TNT, Wednesday, 11:15 p.m.

The General / KCET, Friday, 1 p.m.

My Darling Clementine / AMC, Friday, 5 and 9 p.m.

The Wild Bunch / TBS, Saturday, 7:50 p.m.