Review of Last Tango in Paris (1972) by Denise A — 23 Jun 2012

Is it just me or do people make WAY too big a deal about Marlon Brando? He didn't even learn his lines, he had them written down on cue cards and put up all over the set, leading to really awkward pauses and constrained cinematography.

The sexual relationship between the two characters seems more like that of an abusive husband venting his frustrations while she keeps coming back only because she gets off on being abused, both physically and mentally.

The connection between the two felt very forced and a little uncomfortable. When people defend this movie, they are likely to use the argument that it was ground-breaking for the time. Yes, it is very sexually graphic but now, there are far better and way more explicit movies out.

Just last year I saw the movie Shame where Michael Fassbender's character literally performs anilingus on screen. Personally, I found the scene to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I feel that Shame was far more graphic and a vastly better movie.

I'm glad I live in a world were audiences are mature enough to see a peepee on screen and not lose their shit in "moral" outrage and I suppose I have Last Tango to thank for that.