Watch it, I dare you.

Wait, I double dog dare you.

is this film bad?

It's brilliant. But I can't watch this again. The scene with Brando talking to his dead wife is unbearable.

butter in good use...

kp

Seen it only once?

Yes. I'm not up for a second viewing. Too intense and too personal. The score by Gato Barbieri is intensely personal as well.

The last couple of times I've watched it I tried to imagine I was a female; it now seems so much more troubling.
The first time I watched it I found myself almost completely empathizing with Brando's character.
Now I think he's loathsome beginning to end...it's still an act of genius of course.

I tend to think that one doesn't recognize the misogyny of the film upon initial viewing(s).

I think that men might not recognize the misogyny upon initial viewing.

Jeanne is every man's fantasy, so the story becomes increasingly sordid. Her fiance films her, and Paul degrades her.

It's not as simple as that though. He's wounded, and his passion is intense. He's out to wound someone else. How did he get to be this way? And what drove his wife to suicide?

And Jeanne comes to love him. There is a passion in Paul that she doesn't find in her fiance. And it's clear that he loves her, but he is incapable of tenderness toward her. Why? Did he do the same thing to his wife? Is that why she killed herself? Why is it only after she's dead that he can show her love?

I saw this years ago based on it's reputation and a lot of it went over my head. Now that my tastes have matured and I'm more comfortable with subtitles I should give it a second chance.
Even then though the scene SLH mentions stood out.

Ha! All my like laughed at by beautiful women...

Seriously, it wasn't until the third viewing that I realized that every female character in the movie is contemptible
(obviously I was that fascinated by Brando's performance).

Initially I thought of the relationship as much more on equal ground, I think Paul's (Brando's?) breakdown at the end of the movie seem to level things a bit.

The story behind the filming of the movie is equally compelling. Bertolucci idolized Brando; perhaps it's not the best kind of attitude to take into filming a movie like this. Although they remained on good terms, Brando became a bit contempous of Bertolucci's motivations. Obviously we're watching Bertolucci vicariously live out his fantasies throught the acting of his hero. A bit creepy, perhaps.
Bertolucci was also fascinated (obsessed?) with Freud and painter Francis Bacon, both of whose influence you can see all over the movie. So much was going on that Brando said something like "Bertolucci has no idea what this movie is about".

Also Brando's crazy ex kidnapped his son during the filming of the movie; Brando was repeatedly flying between Paris and LA. Certainly the stress contributed to his performance.

I'm continually surprised by how many movie fans have never seen this film. If you're a student of the cinema, you must see this movie. Most who've seen it talk about the deathbed soliloquy, but to me, the end of the movie, starting with the tango room, is about the best 10 minutes ever put on film. I don't think anyone has so realistically portrayed a (relatively) normal person teetering on the edge of sanity like Brando does in this movie.

Yes, the Tango scene. Unbelievable. And the music is intense.

I didn't know anything about the background of the filming. It certainly does distance one from the film a bit. And it seems that after being involved with Last Tango, Gato Barbieri was as frightened by the intensity of the experience as anyone. He moved far away to a much tamer style of music.

Boring. Didnt age well.

The soundtrack by Gato Barbieri:

watched this today.... wow.....

I read the book years ago. I've never really wanted to see the movie.

Last Tango in Paris' star Maria Schneider dies
PARIS — The talent agency that represented Last Tango in Paris star Maria Schneider says the French actress has died. She was 58.