Review: Last Tango In Paris (1972)
'No names.'
★★★★
Maria Schneider and Marlon Brando in "Last Tango In Paris (1972)."
After Marlon Brando's career nearly sank in the 60s, this film and The Godfather (1972) brought him back to prominence and revitalized his career. Now it's 2024, Marlon Brando would've been 100 if he were still with us, and this year will mark 20 years since his passing.
While watching Last Tango in Paris, a wide range of emotions surfaced; it was one of the great emotional experiences of our time. Though it occasionally tries not to be, the film is incredibly humorous despite being very sad. The film is rated "NC-17" (previously "X") mainly for its explicit sex scenes. However, I believe the sex is secondary to the film's primary focus: its emotional depth. The film stars Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider, and despite rumors, the two maintained a good relationship. The director, however, was more problematic. But more on that later.
The film follows an American widower, Paul (Marlon Brando), who engages in an anonymous and intensely physical relationship with a young Parisian woman, Jeanne (Maria Schneider). Meeting in an empty apartment, they set rules to keep their identities hidden and emotions detached. However, as their encounters progress, the boundaries between physical and emotional intimacy blur, leading to a tumultuous and ultimately tragic conclusion. The film is renowned for its raw performances and controversial depiction of sexual and emotional vulnerability.
As I mentioned, it wasn't the story or the sex that resonated with me but the emotional aspect. One particular scene stands out: the moment when Paul delivers a speech to his dead wife, Rosa. The dialogue is secondary; Brando's performance is the highlight. He transitions from being a cold, rough man to a broken, emotional widower. Brando has said he recalled memories of his late mother while filming that scene. Paul mourns her in a fit of fury and despair. "I may be able to comprehend the universe, but I'll never understand the truth about you," says the man. He calls her nasty names before breaking down in tears. He attempts to remove her cosmetic death mask ("Look at you! You're a monument to your mother! You never wore makeup, never wore false eyelashes.") He doesn't understand why she killed herself, why she abandoned him, why she never truly loved him in the first place, and why he was always treated like a visitor at her hotel rather than a husband in her bed.
This film is not perfect, but in the things it succeeds in, it doesn't fail to disappoint. What happens in the apartment between Paul and Jeanne is what the movie is about: How two entirely distinct wants are met by sex. Since Paul failed with his wife, he must immerse himself in grief and rage and impose his manhood on this stranger. Jeanne reacts to a man who, in spite of his detached demeanor, is intent on her and who, if for unknown reasons, needs her badly. In contrast to Tom, who claims he wants to capture every second of her life on camera, he is more concerned with his film than with her. Though she might never be required again in her lifetime, Jeanne senses that Paul needs her. Paul doesn't seem to need her anymore, which is why she is depressed in the end rather than because of a lost romance.
While it may not be my favorite Marlon Brando film, it's one of my favorite performances by Marlon Brando. Maria Schneider was also great in this too! That said, I do feel bad about the way Bernardo Bertolucci treated Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider. Bertolucci And before any of you say anything, Marlon didn't r*pe Maria. He was never even accused. They were actually close friends until the day he died. But people continue to parrot the story and accuse Marlon Brando without even talking about the director and his creepy sexual fantasies and dreams. Schnieder hated Bertolucci for a lot of reasons. Both Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider admitted that they felt r**ed by this film and Bernardo Bertolucci and refused to speak with him ever again, he forced them both to do things against their will. And please do actual research rather than going off what you hear on the internet and listen to Maria's and Bertolucci's original in-context interviews and do actual research rather than going off what you hear on the internet.