Rent Last Tango in Paris (1972)

Not an easy watch - Last Tango in Paris review by SB

Forget the blurb – there is no carnal dance, no erotic heights. This is a bleak film, at times savage in its nihilism, about whether it is ever possible for human beings to truly connect with one another. Marlon Brando is profoundly unlikeable here, but very right for this character. Maria Schneider, who at the time had practically no acting experience, doesn't act, she simply exists and reacts as a young woman might in this situation where she is caught up with someone who is going through an existential crisis. Yet she conveys a profound sense of certainty about herself. There is a good portrayal, slightly tongue in cheek, of her boyfriend as enthusiastic young French film-maker. The settings now appear somewhat seedy but in the early 70s were just Paris as it was then, slightly exotic and where anything might happen.