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

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 begins a sordid affair with a middle-aged American businessman who lays out ground rules that their clandestine relationship will be based only on sex.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Suicide | Sex | Love | American Expatriate

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
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

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	....	assistant cameraman
Luciano Galli	....	gaffer
Alfredo Marchetti	....	key grip
Mauro Marchetti	....	assistant cameraman
Alberico Novelli	....	electrician
Angelo Novi	....	still photographer
Enrico Umetelli	....	cameraman

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

• United Artists (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Les Artistes Associés (1972) (France) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (blu-ray)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Cinema Mondo (2003) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Nova Film (1973) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Park Circus (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1973) (Finland) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• Eagle Pictures (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• Gativideo (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Gativideo (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

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

MPAA:

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

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:

France | Italy

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (video rating) (1988) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM18 (original rating) (cut) | 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) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2000) (uncut) | West Germany:18 (original rating) (cut) | Italy:(Banned) (1972-1987) | Singapore:(Banned) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Italy:VM14 (cut version) (1988) | Italy:VM18 (re-rated: 1987) (uncut) | Netherlands:18 (orginal rating)

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

When Marlon Brando arrived for the first day of shooting, he had on makeup "two centimeters thick" according to Bernardo Bertolucci. Brando, who had applied his own makeup, didn't understand the natural, low-light conditions cinematographer Vittorio Storaro was going to work with to get the look of the film. Bertolucci had to remove much of the makeup from Brando's face with a handkerchief.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The bottle of "bourbon" is actually Jack Daniels' Tennessee whiskey. Since the Daniels distillery is not in the Bourbon region of Kentucky that whiskey cannot be called "bourbon" according to US law.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Smallville: Apocalypse (#7.18)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

It's Over

Brando is Great

The acting of Marlon Brando is one of the major reasons to watch this feature film. Brando for the first time in his career exhibits a physical performance that matches the emotional intensity of his earlier films. Paul like the lead male characters in A Streetcar Named Desire(1951) and On the Waterfront(1954) is someone who behaves in an animalistic fashion. 1972 saw Marlon Brando in a banner year with his performances in The Godfather and Last Tango in Paris. It was the last great performance of Marlon Brando as he hasn't done anything good(except Apocalypse Now) as this.

The actor shows plenty of emotion and human depth in his role. Some of the scenes with Maria Schneider are some of the most difficult things done by the actor. The scene where Paul lets out his anger and frustration out on his dead wife is a prime example of why Marlon Brando is a great actor. This sequence reveals some about the character of paul. Marlon does a convincing job during the erotic scenes.

The direction by Bernardo Bertolucci is fantastic. It seems that being an Assistent Director for Pier Paolo Pasolini had paid off in the making of Ultimo Tango a Parigi/Last Tango in Paris(1972). There are Pasolinian moments that are evident in many parts of the movie. Bertolucci spends more time creating a three dimensional chracter in Paul then he did on Jeanne. The erotic sequences are done by the director with finesse and style.

There is a contrast between Paul(Last Tango In Paris), and Vitto(The Godfather). First, Vitto is calm and cool while Paul is emotionally unstable. Second, Paul is sexually active while Vitto is sexually inactive. Third, Vitto concerns himself with the family structure and Paul is an individual. Finally, Paul is middle aged and somewhat in shape and Vitto is old and nearing death.

On the day of its release, Last Tango in Paris Stirred up an enormous uproar. This had nothing to do with the sex scenes itself but the content that propelled these scenes. It was banned in the director's native soil. One scene that caused a stir is the scene where Jeanne puts her hand in Paul's backside. Another scene that upset people is the infamous "Butteromy" Sequence.

Maria Schneider gives a couragous and emotionally difficult performance as Jeanne. This film had a negative effect on the actress as she later had a breakdown and spent some time in an asylum. In one interview, Maria Schneider discussed her displeasure with the director. She does a wonderful job in the scene where she describes her relationship with a cousin as a young girl. She does things that many well known actresses would be afraid to do.

The emotional level of the sex scenes are what caused such a scandal. The sex is not out of love but out of despair and the yearning for human contact. The "Butteromy" scene takes that notion to the extreme. What makes the sex scandalous is the fact that Paul and Jeanne treat it in a matter of fact way. It seems that Paul is Jeanne's sex toy as that's the way she views him.

Romance director, Catherine Breillit has an appearence in Last Tango in Paris(1972). The supporting cast are good in their perspective roles. Jean-Pierre Leaud is terrific in his portrayal of Jeanne's clueless beau. He would appear in another erotic themed feature called The Mother & the Whore(1973). Jean Pierre Leaud's character is the exact opposite of Paul.

Ultimo Tango a Parigi opens with images of a Francis Bacon painting. The characters are nothing but live paint figures of a Francis Bacon masterwork. The director was influenced by the works of the painter when he decided to do the film. The scene where Brando is crouched in a corner is a live reactment of one painting during the opening credits. Bacon's paintings like the feature look deep within the pits of the human soul.

Agnes Varda wrote some additional dialogue for this motion picture. Last Tango in Paris comes between two classics in The Conformist(1970), and 1900(1976). It is avilable in both a R and NC-17 version. The ending is ironic and tragic because Paul is on the verge of turning over a new leaf. The cinematography by Vittorio Storaro makes the camera another member of the cast.