Ultimo tango a Parigi (1972)

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

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

Release Date:

7 February 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A young Parisian woman begins a sordid affair with a middled-aged American businessman whom lays out ground rules that their clandestine relationship will be based only on sex.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | American Expatriate | Sex | Suicide | Grief

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

Also Known As:

Last Tango in Paris (UK)
Le dernier Tango à Paris (France)
Ultimo tango a Parigi (Italy) (dubbed version)
Último Tango em Paris (Brazil) [pt]
Último tango en París (Argentina) [es]
Az utolsó tangó Párizsban (Hungary) [hu]
Der letzte Tango in Paris (West Germany) [de]
El último tango en París (Spain) [es]
Ha-Tango Ha-Aharon B'Pariz (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
O Último Tango em Paris (Portugal) [pt]
Ostatnie tango w Paryzu (Poland) [pl]
Paris'te son tango (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Poslední tango v Parízi (Czechoslovakia) [cs]
Sista tangon i Paris (Sweden) [sv]
Siste tango i Paris (Norway) [no]
To teleftaio tango sto Parissi (Greece) [el]
Viimeinen tango Pariisissa (Finland) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for some explicit sexual content.

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:

Italy | France

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2000) (uncut) | West Germany:18 (original rating) (cut) | Italy:(Banned) (1972-1986) | Singapore:(Banned) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM18 (re-rating) | 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)

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Les Productions Artistes Associés

Trivia:

Argentine Tango composer Astor Piazzolla was going to write the music for the film and had actually submitted demos to director Bernardo Bertolucci. Bertolucci instead chose famed jazz musician Gato Barbieri as the film's composer because he felt that his saxophone playing would give the film a more rich and sultry feel for the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the scene in which he uses the butter, Paul rests alone on the floor on his left side. Next shot he appears on his back.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Frasier: Slow Tango in South Seattle (#2.1)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

Goodbye

brilliant!

The movie is above brilliant. It leaves you impressed for days, and when the impression starts to fade, you watch it again. And again... Why do I find this movie so special? Because it is. It is a refreshment: it can move you, make you wonder, make you dream - of Paris, of destroying passion, of love which is above the ordinary, of places and people you have yet to meet or yet never to meet... It is a movie of passionate imagination coming true. I have to say that I can't believe people see the sex-scenes in this movie just like any other sex scenes. They're not scenes to make people watch the movie and just wait for the part in which Brando and Schneider have sex. It is amazing sex. It is passion. Strange and exotic fruit. Makes you speechless and addicted. But yet, it is bittersweet... Watch the movie, it is a genuine a work of art, a masterpiece of European cinematography, and I also have to point out- the music from the movie is brilliant, jazz, tango... sabor suave y delicioso :)