Overview
A passionate affair unfolds in the heart of Paris, where love and tragedy intertwine.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- provocative
- claustrophobic
- arthouse film night
- classic cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized the film as a formally forceful and influential erotic drama, praising its performances and emotional intensity despite its controversial explicit sexuality.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Paul and Jeanne establish a relationship in which they refuse to tell each other their names or conventional biographical details.
Paul's mourning for his wife's suicide shapes the affair's obsessive and destabilized sexual intensity.
The film's graphic sexuality produced censorship battles, an obscenity prosecution in Italy, and intense public controversy.
Jeanne's fiance Tom is making a cinema-verite documentary about her, adding a filmmaking layer to her personal life.
Films like Last Tango in Paris, and why
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
shared erotic drama, emotionally volatile affair, and psychologically raw performances
Belle de Jour
shared transgressive romance, explicit sexuality, and alienated urban atmosphere
In the Realm of the Senses
shared destructive passion, sexual frankness, and intimate relationship conflict
Betty Blue
shared melancholic eroticism, European art cinema style, and doomed romantic attachment
Movie Details
- Director
- Bernardo Bertolucci
- Release Date
- 1972-12-15
- Runtime
- 129 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (1377)
Cast
- Marlon Brando
- Maria Schneider
- Maria Michi
- Giovanna Galletti
- Jean-Pierre Léaud
- Gitt Magrini
- Catherine Allégret
- Luce Marquand
- Marie-Hélène Breillat
- Catherine Breillat
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Last Tango in Paris about?
- A grieving expatriate and an engaged young Parisienne pursue an anonymous affair that turns erotic escape into emotional and psychological devastation.
- What is Last Tango in Paris like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Last Tango in Paris as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Last Tango in Paris violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Last Tango in Paris as mild.
- What did critics think of Last Tango in Paris?
- Critics broadly recognized the film as a formally forceful and influential erotic drama, praising its performances and emotional intensity despite its controversial explicit sexuality.
- Which films are like Last Tango in Paris?
- Films with a similar feel include The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Belle de Jour, In the Realm of the Senses, and Betty Blue.
- How long is Last Tango in Paris?
- Last Tango in Paris runs 129 minutes.
- Where can I watch Last Tango in Paris?
- In United States, Last Tango in Paris is available to rent or buy from Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
