"Last Tango in Paris" The inspiration that painter Francis Bacon gives to film directors, its origins

"Last Tango in Paris" synopsis

Paris in winter. Paul, a middle-aged man, suddenly rapes a young girl, Jeanne, whom he happens to meet in a spare room in his apartment. However, the two part as if nothing had happened. Jeanne had a fiancé. Meanwhile, Paul's wife has just committed suicide and he is in despair about life. After that, the two continue to meet in an empty room in the apartment and become addicted to each other's bodies, but...

Index

• Shocking work by 31-year-old Bertolucci
• The intentions behind Francis Bacon's paintings
• Vittorio Storaro's outstanding descriptive ability
• The “bond” connected by Francis Bacon

Shocking work by 31-year-old Bertolucci

Bernardo Bertolucci, the great Italian director, passed away in November 2018 at the age of 77. He has the ability to express the decadence of Europe in a sensual and beautiful way from a far-sighted perspective, and his film `` The Conformist '' (1970), which he filmed at the age of just 29, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay and earned him worldwide recognition. In `` The Last Emperor '' (1987), he achieved the remarkable feat of winning all nine categories for which he was nominated.

Since then, there have been films such as `` The Sheltering Sky '' (1990), an adaptation of Paul Bowles' original story that depicts the harsh fate of a couple in Morocco, and `` Little Buddha '' (1993), which has a Buddhist theme. He has continued to boldly take on themes and stories that are difficult to turn into films, and has continued to fascinate many filmmakers and fans.

Even within such an illustrious filmography, there are early works that are full of experimental ambition and come to fruition at a high level of theme and craft. The film that had a great influence on subsequent filmmakers was ``Last Tango in Paris'' (1972).

“Last Tango in Paris” trailer

Set in an apartment in Paris, a middle-aged man and a young woman, who don't even know each other's names, meet each other. I thought it would be quite romantic, but it's Bertolucci, so it doesn't turn out that way. It's hard to believe that he was 31 years old at the time of filming, and the story of the two of them is depicted from a cold, senile perspective.

Marlon Brando plays a middle-aged man who is exhausted by his wife's suicide and doesn't know why. This sense of emptiness also attracts the young woman played by Maria Schneider. In the sexual love scenes between the two, there is no emotional excitement or romanticism, and the viewer is not allowed to empathize with them at all. The story eventually ends with a shocking scene, but director Bertolucci has already prepared a climax at the beginning of the film that conveys the film's theme.

The intentions behind Francis Bacon's paintings