MOVIE REVIEW: Last Tango in Paris (1972)

Somewhere online, I caught wind about the recent death of actress Maria Schneider to cancer. Her life story seemed pretty tumultuous, and much of it seemed to have precipitated from making her breakout film - Last Tango in Paris - an erotic drama that apparently was somewhat of a sleeper hit in the 70s, starring Marlon Brando, and featuring several steamy encounters between him and her that were responsible for the film's dubiously earned 'X'-rating (it's still NC-17, today). Curious on how the film has held up, as well as the story, I decided to check it out.

After the suicide of his wife, bereaved loner, Paul, wanders the streets of Paris in a nihilistic trance. One day, he encounters Jeanne, a nubile young woman who is engaged to be married to an equally-young filmmaker. When Jeanne runs into Paul again after trying to rent an apartment, the two set off a sexually charged affair that is marked by a no-strings-attached attitude, and a promise to remain anonymous towards one another, in order to receive what would appear to be emotional therapy from raw, human contact. Paul begins to complicate matters though, when he falls for Jeanne, and vice-versa.

Last Tango is a slow film, a characteristic that I've noticed of Bernardo Bertolucci. He's not a dynamic filmmaker when it comes to visuals, but very much so when it comes to characterizations. In which case, the acting here provided by Brando and Schneider is fantastic; there are spates of improvisation from Brando that are just downright funny at times, due to the spontaneity. But unfortunately, the film does go through some lulls and some may be disappointed to find out it's not as prurient like the poster may imply. While the few sex scenes are rather graphic, they're not portrayed in a sleazy, pornographic manner. I'd say it's still worth checking out, if you're interested in marginally artsy dramas. Just don't watch it too late so that you may give it your full attention.

7/10

Peace,
- Jon