Last Tango in Paris

Name: Last Tango in Paris
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: 1972-12-15
Duration: 2 h 9 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider, Maria Michi, Giovanna Galletti, Jean-Pierre Léaud

When you see a love story, it's only a movie. When you feel it with every nerve in your body, it's a masterpiece.

Ultimo tango a Parigi (1972)

Timing: 2:9 (129 min)

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no scores

6.9/10
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6.8/10
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Everything about the movie

Video 6

Photo 62

Actors and characters

Video for the film Last Tango in Paris — Last Tango in Paris 1972 Trailer | Marlon Brando | Maria Schneider

1:32

Photo 62

Release date

1972-12-15

Country

France, Italy

Production

United Artists, PEA, Les Productions Artistes Associés

Genre

Drama, Romance

Budget

$1 250 000

Box office

$96 144 000

Website

Director

Bernardo Bertolucci

Actors

Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider, Maria Michi, Giovanna Galletti, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Gitt Magrini, Catherine Allégret, Luce Marquand, Marie-Hélène Breillat, Catherine Breillat
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Alberto Grimaldi

Camera operator

Vittorio Storaro

Composer

Gato Barbieri

Artist

Ferdinando Scarfiotti, Philippe Turlure, Maria Paola Maino

Audition

Editing

Franco Arcalli, Roberto Perpignani, Enzo Provenzale
Whole Team (35)

Short description

A recently widowed American begins an anonymous sexual relationship with a young Parisian woman.

What's left behind the scenes

After the film's release in Europe, Bernardo Bertolucci, Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider, and the film's producer, Alberto Grimaldi, were charged with distributing pornography in a Bologna court. All charges were soon dropped, and only Bernardo Bertolucci was punished, being deprived of his civil rights in Italy, including the right to vote in elections for five years.
The film was banned from release in Italy (1972–1986), Portugal (1973–1974), as well as in Singapore, New Zealand, and South Korea.
According to director Bernardo Bertolucci, the idea for the film was born from his own sexual fantasy – “to meet a beautiful stranger on the street and have sex with her without any obligations, without even learning her name.”
The film was banned from screening in Italy (1972—1986), Portugal (1973—1974), as well as in Singapore, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea.
Ten years after the film's premiere, in 1982, United Artists released a new version of the film, which received an R rating, instead of the X rating that had been assigned to Bertolucci's film in 1972. Interestingly, the new version of "Last Tango in Paris" was only one minute shorter.
Jean-Louis Trintignant and actress Dominique Sanda were considered for the leading roles, but both actors declined to participate in the film.
Many of Paul's lines were improvised by Marlon Brando, who disliked his character's phrases.
The full version of the film has a runtime of 136 minutes.
The initial director's cut of the film lasted more than four hours, and the complete version has a runtime of 136 minutes.
After filming, Marlon Brando did not speak to Bernardo Bertolucci for 20 years.
The film premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 14, 1972.
The most famous erotic scene in the film was an improvisation by Bertolucci and Brando, who decided to change the script at the last minute and did not warn her. Actress Maria Schneider admitted that after the shooting she was in a state of shock, and her tears in the scene were real.
Bernardo Bertolucci created the image of Tom as a parody of one of the ideologues of the French New Wave – director François Truffaut.
The film's most famous scene was an improvisation by Bertolucci and Brando, who decided to change the script at the last minute without informing Maria Schneider. She was in a state of shock after the shooting, and her tears in the scene were genuine.
Jean-Louis Trintignant and Dominique Sanda were considered for the leading roles, but both declined.
Initially, the music for the film was to be composed by Astor Piazzolla, who even wrote a demo version of an Argentine tango for Bertolucci. However, the director ultimately preferred jazz composer Gato Barbieri, finding his music more sensual.
After the film "Last Tango in Paris" was released in Europe, a case was opened in the court of the Italian city of Bologna against Bernardo Bertolucci, Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider, and the film's producer Alberto Grimaldi for "distribution of pornography." Soon, all charges were dropped against the filmmakers, and only Bernardo Bertolucci was punished, being deprived of civil rights in Italy, including the right to vote in elections for five years.
Many of Paul's lines were improvised by Marlon Brando, who disliked the phrases written for his character in the script.
Interestingly, Bernardo Bertolucci deliberately created the image of Tom as a parody of one of the ideologues of the French New Wave, director François Truffaut.
According to director Bernardo Bertolucci, the idea for the film was born from his own sexual fantasy – to meet a beautiful stranger on the street and have sex with her without any obligations, and without even learning her name.
After watching the film, director Ingmar Bergman stated that the story would have made sense if the main characters were two gay men. Bernardo Bertolucci replied that he considered this criticism justified. He had considered a scenario involving homosexual relationships as one of the options.
The initial director's cut of the film lasted over four hours.
Astor Piazzolla was originally supposed to compose the music and even wrote a version of an Argentine tango for Bertolucci. However, the director ultimately preferred jazz composer Gato Barbieri, finding his music more sensual.
In 1982, ten years after the film's premiere, United Artists released a new version of the film, which received an R rating instead of an X rating. The new version was only one minute shorter than the original.
Actor Jean-Pierre Léaud, who played the role of Tom, was so afraid of meeting Marlon Brando that all scenes involving him were filmed on Saturdays, when Brando wasn't working. As a result, Léaud never actually met the legendary actor during the entire production of the film.
Marlon Brando did not speak to Bernardo Bertolucci for 20 years after this film.
Swedish director Ingmar Bergman stated after watching the film that the entire story would have made sense if the main characters were two gay men. Bernardo Bertolucci replied that he considered this criticism justified. Interestingly, the option of homosexual relationships being at the center of the film could have actually happened. This idea was one of the alternative concepts for the main version of the film's script.
Jean-Pierre Léaud, who played the role of Tom, was so afraid of meeting Marlon Brando that all scenes involving him were shot on Saturdays, when Brando didn't work. Throughout the entire production of the film, Léaud never actually met the legendary actor.