Last Tango in Paris (1972) Ultimo tango a Parigi (original title)

Popularity:

Up 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

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

Release Date:

7 February 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A young Parisian woman meets a middle-aged American businessman who demands their clandestine relationship be based only on sex.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Love | American Expatriate | Suicide | Sex

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 6 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
Veronica Lazar	...	Rosa
Rachel Kesterber	...	Christine
Ramón Mendizábal	...	Tango Orchestra Leader / Le chanteur de l'orchestre de tango
Mimi Pinson	...	President of Tango Jury / Le président du concours de tango
Darling Légitimus	...	La concierge
Gérard Lepennec	...	Un déménageur
Stéphan Koziak	...	Un déménageur
Armand Abplanalp	...	Prostitute's Client / Le client de la prostituée
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Laura Betti	...	Miss Blandish (scenes deleted)
Jean-Luc Bideau	...	Le capitaine de la péniche (scenes deleted)
Michel Delahaye	...	Bible Salesman / Le vendeur de bibles (scenes deleted)
Gianni Pulone	...	Man on street (scenes deleted)
Franca Sciutto	...	Woman on street (scenes deleted)

Directed by
Bernardo Bertolucci

Writing credits
Bernardo Bertolucci		(story)
Bernardo Bertolucci		(screenplay) and
Franco Arcalli		(screenplay)
Agnès Varda		(adaptation: French dialogue) (as Agnes Varda)
Jean-Louis Trintignant		dialogue collaborator

Produced by
Alberto Grimaldi	....	producer

Original Music by
Gato Barbieri		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Vittorio Storaro		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Franco Arcalli
Roberto Perpignani		(co-editor)

Production Design by
Philippe Turlure

Set Decoration by
Philippe Turlure

Costume Design by
Gitt Magrini

Makeup Department
Maud Begon	....	makeup artist
Iole Cecchini	....	hairdressing (as Jole Cecchini)
Phil Rhodes	....	makeup artist (as Philip Rhodes)

Production Management
Gérard Crosnier	....	production manager: France (as Gerard Crosnier)
Mario Di Biase	....	production manager
Enzo Ocone	....	post-production supervisor
Francis Peltier	....	assistant production manager
Enzo Provenzale	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Franco Arcalli	....	third assistant director
Jean-David Lefebvre	....	second assistant director (as Jean David Lefebvre)
Fernand Moszkowicz	....	assistant director

Art Department
Maria Paola Maino	....	set designer
Maria Paola Maino	....	set dresser
Albert Rajau	....	assistant set designer
Ferdinando Scarfiotti	....	supervising set designer
Philippe Turlure	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Fausto Ancillai	....	sound mixer: English version
Luciano Anzellotti	....	sound effects (as Luciano Anzelotti)
Massimo Anzellotti	....	sound effects editor
Michael Billingsley	....	sound editor
Antoine Bonfanti	....	sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department
Luigi Bernardini	....	first assistant camera
Luciano Galli	....	gaffer
Alfredo Marchetti	....	key grip
Mauro Marchetti	....	second assistant camera
Alberico Novelli	....	electrician
Angelo Novi	....	still photographer
Enrico Umetelli	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Gabriella Cristiani	....	assistant editor
Ernesto Novelli	....	printing supervisor
Elvio Sordoni	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Gato Barbieri	....	performer: saxophone solo
Oliver Nelson	....	conductor
Oliver Nelson	....	music arranger

Other crew
Suzanne Durrenberger	....	script supervisor (as Suzanne Durremberger)
Maurizio Forti	....	production accountant
Alberto Grimaldi	....	presenter
José Lichtig	....	production accountant (as Jose Lichtig)
Ginette Mejinsky	....	production secretary
Christian Ferry	....	development (uncredited)

Thanks
Francis Bacon	....	acknowledgment: titles background made with the kind permission of (as Mr. Francis Bacon)

Production Companies

• United Artists (presents)
• Les Productions Artistes Associés (co-production)
• Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA) (co-production) (as PEA Produzioni Europee Associate s.a.s.)

Distributors

• Les Artistes Associés (1972) (France) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Nova Film (1973) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1973) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Magnetic Video (1981) (USA) (video)
• 20th Century Fox Video (1982) (USA) (video)
• RCA (1982) (USA) (video) (CED VideoDisc)
• CBS/Fox (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1990) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS) (censored and uncensored versions)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (LaserDisc)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Cinema Mondo (2003) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Park Circus (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Eagle Pictures (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (blu-ray)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• Gativideo (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Key Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (198?) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• MGM/UA Home Video  VHS package design

Also Known As:

"Ultimo tango a Parigi" - France (original title)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for some explicit sexual content (re-rating) (1997)

Runtime:

129 min | USA:127 min (R-rated version) | 250 min (rough cut)

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Australia:R18+ | Brazil:14 | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Chile:(Banned) (original rating) (1973-1992) | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2000) (uncut) | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM18 (original rating) (cut) | Italy:VM14 (cut version) (1988) | Italy:VM18 (re-rating) (1987) (uncut) | Italy:(Banned) (1972-1987) | Netherlands:18 (orginal rating) | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating) | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Portugal:(Banned) (1973-1974) | Singapore:(Banned) | South Korea:(Banned) (original rating) | South Korea:18 (re-rating) (1996) (uncut) | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) (uncut) | USA:R (cut version: 1981) | USA:X (original rating: 1973) | USA:NC-17 (re-rating) (1997) | USA:X (re-rating) (1982) | West Germany:18 (original rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

26 rue Vavin, Paris 6, Paris, France

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: During the Tango contest scene, Paul's clapping doesn't match the soundtrack.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Body Double (1984)

Soundtrack:

Shenandoah

possibly the best performance of Brando's career

the original X-rated version (just recently rerated NC-17) is possibly my favorite tragic romance that i've ever seen. Marlon Brando delivers a fierce impassioned performance that has yet to be equaled by himself or any other actor. surprisingly, the much debated sex scenes (did they really do it?) aren't really explicit from a nudity aspect (not much is shown.) but what they DON'T show makes the scenes that much more erotic and realistic.

my only complaints is the the last third is a little too drawn out and the ending could have been constructed better, but those are moot points.

any fanatic of classic cinema should have this film in their collections. and anyone that wants to see how to make a great tragically romantic film should view this one repeatedly.