Last tangos
Maria Schneider, star of “Last Tango in Paris,” has died at the age of 58. She seems to have had a difficult life subsequent to making the film.
I saw that film in a movie theater when it first came out in 1972. It was famously controversial for its time—or even for any time—and highly, highly praised. It was supposed to be some sort of masterpiece, but almost all I remember about it is that I hated it and found it surprisingly dull and stupid.
Plus, here’s another confession: I’ve never cared much for “Tango” star Marlon Brando as an actor, even in the roles that made his name like “Streetcar Named Desire,” when he was a young hottie. I found him mannered and self-indulgent, never believable.
His best role for me was in “The Godfather.” And even then I didn’t like him for much the same reasons. The voice and the mannerisms seemed too actorish, and distracted me from the character, although they did make me forget for a while that I was watching Marlon Brando.
I realize I may be in a tiny minority in this.
I, also, have always been bugged by the sense that I was watching Brando instead of a character. If a moviegoer were alive during Brando’s initial movies: watching him onscreen must have been exhilarating. I much liked Brando in “On the Waterfront”.
My first exposure to Brando came after he was already a veteran actor. When I saw him in “On the Waterfront”, it was maybe the 15th movie in which I had seen him play a part. Watching it, I imagined what it would have been like if this were my 1st or 2nd or 3rd exposure to Brando: he would have been fresh to me, and I would have been wowed by him.
I don’t want to be overharsh: Brando has done brilliant things in parts of many movies; I loved his Godfather performance – even enjoyed him spoofing the Godfather role in “The Freshman”.
Most method actors’ performances come across as overwrought to me. Critics (the serious, literary kind) seem to never see a method performance they don’t rave about. Maybe ‘method acting’ gets attention because it draws attention to itself, leaving the actors who portray characters and move the plot forward in more subtle ways less credit than they deserve.
I do think that Apocalypse Now was a case where Brando playing (an exaggerated version of) himself worked.
Artsy fartsy bullshit. Over reaching and more about the wracked futility of empty lives stretched and strung out. No real purpose except perhaps shared misery and perhaps a joker’s joke to present as culture, trash.
Okay, Neo, how do you feel about Brando in “Guys & Dolls”?
(And by all accounts, yes, he did do his own singing!)
Never saw Tango, and reading the obit reminds me why.
Brando wonderfully symbolizes the wretched self-indulgence of the Beautiful People. That he became a fat lethargic slug seems just. But he damaged lots of people along the way.
A stick of butter? What a POS.
I never saw star quality in Brando. I am of the older generation and never understood his brand of acting.
As for personal charisma, I didn’t get that either. Just a spoiled no good brat as far as I could see.
Neo, you might be in a tiny minority — but at least one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century agrees.
It apparently always fried Frank that he didn’t get to sing “Luck be a Lady” — so he made of point of trying to sing it in *every one* of his stage performances.
With ‘ya Neo.
I find it interesting that you use the word “mannered” to describe method acting. I get the self indulgent part though.
I don’t think you are as much in a minority as you think Neo. Brando’s presence on the silver screen was always way over board for my tastes. Gregory Peck or Kevin Spacey out shine Brando on their worst day. I do agree that Don Corleone was his most enjoyable performance.
Not crazy about Brando here either, but his send-up of his own Godfather persona in “The Freshman” is hilarious.
A very funny movie in general…thanks for the reminder, gcotharn. I may rent it again!
CV, I loved him in The Freshman as well. Loved the running gag on everyone forgetting what state Clark was from.
He was a freak show. And not in a good way. But I guess some people like that.
By the end he seemed pretty pathetic. Alhtough I did hear some stories when he died that made it seem like maybe, beneath all the public layers, he was a human being who was perhaps in over his head in the world.
Boy, she won my heart! Such a delightful pout. Your first paragraph suggests she had a tough time. I’m sorry to hear that.
Brando? Y’all may not think much of his stuff but I think his scene in the Godfather where he says to Michael I never wanted this for you … and goes on to Senator Corleone, Governor Corleone … was as real a moment as I have ever seen.
Really sorry about Maria Schneider.I hope the zephyrs treat her well.
Neo — I never saw “Last Tango,” but I completely agree with your comments on Brando. He just seemed like a mass of decaying corpulence in “The Godfather” not the threatening, sinister don he supposedly portrayed. And, even though I enjoyed “On the Waterfront” because of the supporting cast, I couldn’t buy into the notion that Brando had ever had the ferocity to be a “contender” in anything but a fifth-grade fight.
Daniel in Brookline: I find the movie version of “Guys and Dolls” to be unwatchable. Cannot stand it; have never been able to get through it. I think both Brando and Sinatra are miscast. I miss the songs that were deleted. I don’t like the songs that were added.
I find most movie versions of musicals to be ludicrous and greatly inferior to the stage plays. The musical comedy genre is inherently at war with the film genre, and at home on the stage.
IMHO, the least bad transitions are “My Fair Lady” and “Carousel.” Not sure why. Perhaps the first is because Rex Harrison is a genius and he carries it, and Audrey Hepburn, though not quite right, is the essence of charm.
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I saw Tango when I was in college; the film committee programmed it. I thought it was sordid and repulsive, and didn’t reveal anything except that some men like to rut like animals. And there’s this from Wikipedia at your link:
“Years later, however, Schneider recounted feelings of sexual humiliation:
“ “I should have called my agent or had my lawyer come to the set because you can’t force someone to do something that isn’t in the script, but at the time, I didn’t know that. Marlon said to me: ‘Maria, don’t worry, it’s just a movie,’ but during the scene, even though what Marlon was doing wasn’t real, I was crying real tears. I felt humiliated and to be honest, I felt a little raped, both by Marlon and by Bertolucci. After the scene, Marlon didn’t console me or apologise. Thankfully, there was just one take.”[5] ”
“Schneider subsequently stated that making the film was her life’s only regret,[6] that it “ruined her life,” and that she considers Bertolucci a “gangster and a pimp.”[7] In 2011, Bertolucci disavowed that he had “stole[n] her youth,” and commented, “The girl wasn’t mature enough to understand what was going on.”[8]
“Much like Schneider, Brando “felt raped and humiliated” by the film,[6] telling Bertolucci, “I was completely and utterly violated by you. I will never make another film like that.”[3] Brando refused to speak to Bertolucci for fifteen years after wrapping production.[9] Bertolucci also shot a scene which shows Brando’s genitals, but later explained, “I had so identified myself with Brando that I cut it out of shame for myself. To show him naked would have been like showing me naked.”
–Funny, how Bertolucci wanted to strip and humiliate others, but not himself (or his alter ego).
I agree with Dorothy Sayers: “revolting” does not equal “deep.”
As far as “The Freshman” goes, I remember reading somewhere that Branso disavowed that movie, and that he absolutley hated the film.
My favorite Brando movie was “The Young Lions.” But then I’m a sucker for a good WWII movie.
I too dislike Brando as an actor. Gregory Peck is another that I’m not overly fond of. To me, his only believable role was Atticus Finch. In all of his other films he over-projects his voice and becomes an “actor” rather than the character. Maybe it’s just me.
Never was a fan of Brando. . .
To this day I don’t understand his popularity. . .
nor am I a fan of James Dean, Orson Wells,
Marilyn Monroe or most other big “stars” from that ’50s era. I was born in ’46 and I love most all of the movie stars of the ’30s. Must be something in my genetic make-up.
Two Studio Exec’s were standing in an office and one says to the other, “Who should we cast in Guys and Dolls?”. Then he takes out a shovel and wacks the other exec in the head and that guys says, “UUUUHHHH, how about Sinatra and Brando?”. That’s how those kinds of decisions get made. Oh, and if you watch Brando as The Godfather enogh times you’ll finally come to realize he’s doing an bad imitation of Anthony Quinn who should’ve gotten the part in the first place.
Susanamantha and Joseph Welsh: I’m not a Peck fan, either. In his case (as opposed to Brando) I think he’s too bland and understated. Except I think he was very good (understated but very good) in “On the Beach.”
Here are my favorites of old. Looking back and reading it just now, I note that even though it was written over 5 and 1/2 years ago I still managed a gratuitous slam at Marlon Brando.
Steve McQueen—now that’s another story!
I’m not a Brando fan but I do like the 1962 version of Mutiny on the Bounty.
“It was famously controversial for its time–or even for any time–and highly, highly praised. It was supposed to be some sort of masterpiece, but almost all I remember about it is that I hated it and found it surprisingly dull and stupid. “
I found that other generational movie “The Graduate” to be the same.
At least The Graduate had a great Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack.
njartist47: oh, say it isn’t so!
“The Graduate” was actually funny. Anne Bancroft was brilliant in that movie.
As I wrote here:
Wow! Cool… I thought I was the only one who hated “Last Tango” and Brando. After hearing what a fantastic film it was seemingly forever I rented it in ’89 or so. I was totally confused – this piece of, um, whatever, was brilliant? Did I rent the wrong movie? Nope, just another over-hyped waste of celluloid. Boring, stupid and pointless.
Next thing you know I’ll find out that other people actually hate The Beatles too.
I had the bizarre experience of seeing AMERICAN GRAFFITI and walking around the block and watching LAST TANGO. I was an intense, Barnard college student and was appalled by AMERICAN GRAFFITI and stupid American car culture, and thought Bertolucci’s take on love with Brando and Schneider was far superior. In my dotage, I find that GRAFFITI has a certain sweetness. And I’ve never seen TANGO again.
I agree with nolanimrod that Schneider was a very appealing pout, and I’m sad she’s gone way too young.
As to Brando’s acting, my husband was an actor, and many evenings were spent debating the merits of a Brando performance. He was certainly in lots of perfectly awful films, giving strange performances. And yet, we both liked him as an actor. GODFATHER would not have been the same movie without him, great as Coppola’s work undeniably is.
But Brando somehow always pushed the boundaries of film acting, never stooping to cheap Hollywood acting by the yard. He never got too comfortable up there on screen and took your attention for granted. In later years, he was so full of himself that there was hardly room for him on screen, either physically or egotistically.
But thank you for commemorating the passing of Maria Schneider. I will always remember my afternoon of searingly European film-making after what I considered lightweight American fluff.