Ultimo tango a Parigi (1972)

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Bernardo Bertolucci (story)
Bernardo Bertolucci (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

7 February 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A young Parisian woman begins a sordid affair with a middled-aged American businessman whom lays out ground rules that their clandestine relationship will be based only on sex.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | American Expatriate | Sex | Suicide | Grief

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Paul
Maria Schneider	...	Jeanne
Maria Michi	...	Rosa's Mother / La mère de Rosa
Giovanna Galletti	...	Prostitute / La prostituée
Gitt Magrini	...	Jeanne's Mother / La mère de Jeanne
Catherine Allégret	...	Catherine (as Catherine Allegret)
Luce Marquand	...	Olympia
Marie-Hélène Breillat	...	Monique (as Marie-Helene Breillat)
Catherine Breillat	...	Mouchette
Dan Diament	...	TV Sound Engineer / L'ingénieur du son
Catherine Sola	...	TV Script Girl / La script-girl
Mauro Marchetti	...	TV Cameraman / Le cameraman
Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Tom - un cinéaste, le fiancé de Jeanne (as Jean-Pierre Leaud)
Massimo Girotti	...	Marcel
Peter Schommer	...	TV Assistant Cameraman / L'assistant-opérateur

Also Known As:

Last Tango in Paris (UK)
Le dernier Tango à Paris (France)
Ultimo tango a Parigi (Italy) (dubbed version)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for some explicit sexual content.

Runtime:

136 min | Australia:129 min | USA:127 min (R-rated version) | USA:129 min (NC-17 version) | Italy:250 min (original cut) | Spain:124 min (DVD edition) | Norway:129 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2000) (uncut) | West Germany:18 (original rating) (cut) | Italy:(Banned) (1972-1986) | Singapore:(Banned) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM18 (re-rating) | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating) | Norway:18 | Portugal:(Banned) (1973-1974) | Portugal:M/18 | South Korea:(Banned) (original rating) | South Korea:18 (re-rating) (1996) (uncut) | Sweden:15 | USA:NC-17 (re-rating) (1997) | USA:R (cut version: 1981) | USA:X (original rating: 1973) | USA:X (re-rating) (1982)

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Les Productions Artistes Associés

Trivia:

In protest against the film only receiving a minor cinema cut in the UK, a private prosecution was brought against United Artists in January 1974 by 69 year old Edward Shackleton, a Salvation Army member and leading member of the executive committee of the pro-censorship Festival Of Light party. Although the case went as far as the Old Bailey it collapsed when it was ruled that the Obscene Publications Act did not, at that time, apply to films.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the scene in which he uses the butter, Paul rests alone on the floor on his left side. Next shot he appears on his back.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Paul: [with his hands over his ears at the overwhelming sound of a passing train] Fucking GOD!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Seinfeld: The Junk Mail (#9.5)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

Jeanne

Lost in Translation.

Bernardo Bertoluci's "Last Tango in Paris" is a beautiful art-house movie that features one of Marlon Brando's finest performances. He plays Paul, an enigmatic American drawn to France after the recent suicide of his wife. While there, he encounters Jeanne, whom he soon begins to have an affair with. However, they do not reveal anything about themselves and the relationship is based solely on sex.

Jeanne is engaged to Tom, a film director making a documentary of sorts about her. She questions her own love for Tom as she finds herself more and more drawn to Paul.

"Last Tango in Paris" or "Ultimo tango a Parigi" was released in 1972 to much hoopla. Critics loved it but the American censors despised it and it somehow gained a reputation of being a "smut film." It's actually a deep and provocative statement about two people from different backgrounds who fall in love despite trying not to. Their anonymity with each other only makes it all the more difficult.

Brando delivers a stunning performance and Maria Schneider is quite convincing in what must have been a very demanding role.

This isn't a flawless film but it is very good and offers more than just the average "t&a" the genre has come to be known for.

"Last Tango in Paris" has been copied a few times over the years - most noticeably with films such as "9 1/2 Weeks" and "Intimacy." However, this is still one of the best "erotic" dramas out there.