Product: Last Tango in Paris (1973)
Rating: 5.0
The culmination of Brando's career
It was more than just "a big deal in its day," as one of the reviews below put it. And it's definitely not "an exercise in tedium." "Last Tango in Paris" is at once the most harrowing film I have ever seen, and one of the most beautifully created; it represents the artistic summit of its extraordinary star. Even if he had never made this film, Marlon Brando would have been (whether he cared or not) our greatest film actor. With "Last Tango," he turned in one of the most intensely personal and multi-layered performances any actor could ever hope to give. The scene in which his character, Paul, speaks to the body of his late wife had an immediate effect on me during my first viewing of the film: somewhat surprised, not expecting to be moved this deeply, I suddenly felt tears welling in my eyes and trickling out. This hardly ever happens to me as a result of watching a film, but this is a singular film, with a lead performace by a man with a singular legacy. By all means see "Last Tango In Paris," along with the several other classics in Brando's canon.