Marlon Brando, one of the most influential actors that there will ever be, had his 1972 feature film, “Last Tango in Paris,” which was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, banned in Italy.
The iconic actor of American cinema history, who brought a sense of realism and authenticity to his roles, appeared in many classic films and was known for his naturalistic acting style that revolutionized the way actors approached their craft. However, one of his movies was banned for having inappropriate content, although this was not a general opinion.
Marlon Brando’s Last Tango in Paris was Highly Controversial
The Marlon Brando movie that was banned in Italy was the 1972 feature film, “Last Tango in Paris,” which was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. The movie starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider, tells the story of an American expatriate named Paul (played by Brando) who is grieving over the recent suicide of his wife. He meets a young French woman named Jeanne (played by Schneider) while apartment hunting in Paris, and the two begin a sexual relationship without ever revealing their names to each other.
As their relationship deepens, Paul becomes increasingly obsessed with Jeanne, and their sexual encounters become more intense and violent. Paul also reveals some deeply personal and traumatic details about his past, including his abusive relationship with his late wife. Meanwhile, Jeanne becomes engaged to a filmmaker named Tom and begins to feel guilty about her relationship with Paul. When Paul learns of Jeanne’s engagement, he becomes angry and jealous, and their relationship spirals out of control.
Upon its release, the movie had its New York Film Festival premiere on October 14, 1972, and it earned $36 million throughout its theatrical run in the United States. In the next year, it was ranked as the seventh-highest-grossing movie of 1973. However, despite its success, the MPAA assigned the movie an X rating when it was first released in the US. In 1981, R-rated edit was issued by United Artists Classics. After being added to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer catalog in 1997, the movie was given a new rating of NC-17.
Why was Last Tango in Paris Banned in Italy?
The film was controversial for its explicit sexual content and was banned in several countries. In Italy, it was banned for several years before being re-released with some cuts. After the movie’s release, criminal charges for aggravated, gratuitous pan-sexualism were filed in Italy.
The Court of Appeal’s final decision, handed down on January 29, 1976, mandated that the censorship commission take the movie and that all copies be destroyed. Franco Arcalli, Alberto Grimaldi, Bernardo Bertolucci, Marlon Brando, and others were each given two-month prison terms. However, they were later suspended.
