Product: Last Tango in Paris (1973)
Rating: 5.0
A tragically misunderstood masterpiece...
Let me fist say this; if this film has offended you or left you thinking it nothing more than a pointless perversion then you've clearly missed this entire point and have misunderstood this films purpose.I felt that was important because I've seen this film get unfairly targeted by some who refuse to truly embrace it for what it is. Yes, there was a lot of controversy that surrounded it upon its release; and that NC-17 rating doesn't help matters, immediately drawing the viewer to the obvious reasons for its harsh rating; but underneath the layers of sensuality lies a very poignant portrayal of a mans guilt and grief and how he chooses to free himself of it. If you strip away the gratuitous love scenes you will begin to see into the deep pools of Marlon Brando's phenomenal performance and begin to understand why this film had to be made the way that it was.`Ultimo Tango a Parigi' follows Paul, a widower, shortly after his wife's suicide. Still grieving and obviously searching to separate himself from the whole situation, Paul looks into renting himself an apartment. It just so happens that young Jeanne is also there looking herself to rent the apartment. In a spontaneous and completely anonymous moment of passion the two fall into one another and form a curious relationship that serves as a way out for Paul, a way for him to remove himself from all that is crashing in around him.Paul sets ground rules for the continuance of their relationship; first and foremost being that there is to be no names exchanged. Writer/director Bernardo Bertolucci mentioned that the idea for this film stemmed from his fantasy of making love to woman without ever knowing her name; but what he created with `Ultimo Tango a Parigi' is a film that fully explores why that fantasy happens to be one every man desires. He exposed the draw to such an encounter, allowing the audience to understand why a relationship with absolutely no strings is desirable yet disastrous.The one facet of this film that ultimately elevates it is the acting, all of which leaves me speechless. Maria Schneider is marvelous as Jeanne; truly crawling inside of her and delivering a heartbreaking performance. We are able to understand two sides of this tryst by comparing how Jeanne reacts versus Paul. Schneider gives Jeanne enough humanity to create an honest portrayal of a woman confused and guilty for her own love and affection. She wants to give herself fully to Paul but he refuses to accept her. She is being pursued by her longtime boyfriend Tom yet she can't bring herself to be happy about it. As the film spirals to its close we see the layers of this beautiful soul strip away to reveal a woman scorned by the seemingly selfish actions of a man.And yet still...The term `tour-de-force' was created for performances like Brando's. His portrayal of Paul is seriously why the concept of `awards for acting' was though up. One of the greatest compliments any actor can receive is that of being compared to Marlon Brando. Why do you think his name is so rarely used when describing another actor's work? Marlon Brando was incomparable. What strikes me so hard about this particular performance is that it is fearless, and honestly there are so few fearless performances these days that when one like this comes along you are forced to take notice. The performance isn't fearless because of the taboos his character is forced into, nor because of the dialog he is asked to say but because of the sheer dedication and veracity in which he attacks this role head on, delivering each word and confronting each taboo in a way that no other actor would dare. Paul ultimately because a beautifully fleshed out variation of our own male psyche (or if you happen to be female then the psyche of your male counterpart). His grief upon the sudden and abrupt loss of his wife is written all over his face yet effectively masked by his pursuit of young Jeanne and his complete and total domination of her. One scene in particular, where he asks her to violate him, is truly breathtaking (and precisely the reason why I call his performance `fearless') for it allows us, in a not so pretty fashion, to see all that his wife's suicide has reduced him to.`Ultimo Tango a Parigi' is a marvelous film, a masterpiece at that, and rests firmly at the top of my list of greatest films ever made. This is a film that is often misunderstood, true, but it is a film that is vitally important for it helps us to see the truth behind our own facades and confront the deeper meanings to the actions we so boldly take.