Review of Last Tango in Paris (1972) by Jose Pedro S — 22 May 2012
A widower hooks up with a young Parisian who is pursued by a man who conflates his art with his personal life.
In a career of gritty, realistic performances, Marlon Brando's work in Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango in Paris is among his best. The scene in which he confronts his wife's corpse reminded me of Jack Nicholson's "I'd almost marry you if you leave me" from Carnal Knowledge, but Brando's performance comes from a greater, deeper well of self-loathing than Nicholson, who can probably never forget the fact that he's Jack Nicholson; Marlon Brando in his prime -- and this is his prime -- can forget that he's Marlon Brando, and I did too. The rape scene, his myopic view of sex, and his overwhelming screen presence carry this film. His co-star, Maria Schneider, barely keeps up with Brando, and her scenes with Jean-Pierre Leaud aren't nearly as compelling as Brando's; although, Leaud does have a moment that reminded me of his best scene in the Antoine Doinel films.
The ending was emotionally compelling but senseless and unmotivated. In fact, the writing of Jeanne's character lacks a thought-out character arc; she remains undeveloped, and that's not all Schneider's fault.
Overall, this is a great, gritty, intense drama with some of Brando's best work.
This review of Last Tango in Paris (1972) was written by Jose Pedro S on 22 May 2012.
Last Tango in Paris has generally received positive reviews.
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