Last Tango in Paris
From xyclopedia - the history of pornography and sexual expression
Last Tango in Paris (Italian: Ultimo tango a Parigi, French: Le Dernier Tango à Paris) is a 1972 film directed by Bernard Bertolucci that tells the story of an American widower (Marlon Brando) who is drawn into a sexual relationship with a young and soon-to-be-married Parisian woman (Maria Schneider).
The movie was written by Bertolucci, Franco Arcalli, and Agnès Varda, based on a book by the same title by Robert Alley. Cinematography was by Vittorio Storaro. Varda based the film's last scenes on the death of Jim Morrison in Paris.
The film caused a scandal in Italy for its sodomy scene; the film was censored and, officially, all copies were destroyed. An Italian court revoked Bertolucci's civil rights for five years and gave him a four-month suspended prison sentence. Many years after, when attitudes had changed and the Italian censorship commission abolished, the film reappeared and was shown in a slightly edited version.
Last Tango was originally rated X in the United States for such dirty deeds such as Marlon Brando buttering-up Maria Schneider before humiliating her with anal sex. Nonetheless, it was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marlon Brando) and Best Director.
Luke Ford writes that reactions to the movie and its maker reflect a cultural divide between leftists who dominate art and art criticism and those who aren't radical. Most critics left of center liked the film, while the rest hated it.
Writes Robert Rimmer in X-Rated Videotape Guide #1, "Last Tango is a breakthrough movie worth owning to study Director Bernard Bertolucci's film technique that plunges you into the middle of things and lets you slowly discover the characters and events as the action develops. And you will be intrigued by the dialogue, which is often gripping, gruesome and shocking." (100)
Bertolucci moved on to make such films as The Last Emperor, Stealing Beauty, and The Dreamers. Illicit sex remains an theme in his work.
