Review of Last Tango in Paris (1972) by Alex W — 21 May 2013

The sex here isn't all that sensual. It's a vehicle for aggression, and more importantly, something to hide in, to forget loss and grief. Much of the film's success must be credited to Brando, who delivers his last great performance, and it's easily his most personal one - many of his improvised lines are loaded with autobiographical details.

As of this writing, someone's been generous enough to upload Brando's most powerful scene on to this page. In it, he visits his dead wife, who's been made-up for her funeral. As the scene progresses, he boils over with intense hatred for what she's done, but eventually he's overwhelmed and falls to pieces, confessing he'd kill himself too if he knew how he could bring himself to do it.

This is not a comfortable picture to sit through, but that has more to do with the bold display of emotion than the explicit sexual content.