The film Last Tango in Paris is renowned for its infamous and contentious rape scene, considered one of the most controversial in cinematic history.
However, a recently surfaced video reveals that Maria Schneider, aged 19 during filming, did not provide consent for the scene.
In the scene, Marlon Brando, then 48, coerces the young actress into a distressing act involving butter, which was not simulated but an actual assault.
Although Schneider's performance garnered critical acclaim, it is now confirmed that her fear and discomfort were authentic, not part of the acting.
During an event at La Cinémathèque Française in Paris in 2013, Bernardo Bertolucci, the director, disclosed that the idea for the butter scene was conceived without informing Schneider beforehand.
He justified the non-consensual violence as a means to capture a genuine reaction from her, emphasizing her response as a person rather than an actress.
Bertolucci, now 76, rationalized his actions as integral to his artistic vision, stating that he aimed to evoke feelings of humiliation and anger from Schneider.
Despite the lack of apology from both Brando and Bertolucci, the director remains unapologetic, asserting that true artistry requires complete freedom, even at the cost of another's well-being.
Schneider, who passed away in 2011 at 58, had previously expressed her feelings of violation in a 2007 essay, where she recounted feeling humiliated and emotionally traumatized by the experience with Brando and Bertolucci.
She regretted not seeking legal counsel during the filming and attributed her subsequent struggles with addiction and mental health to the aftermath of the movie's release.
Following the revelation of the s–ual assault, Hollywood personalities, including Chris Evans and Anna Kendrick, took to social media to condemn Bartolucci's actions.
Evans expressed shock and anger, calling for legal repercussions, while Kendrick highlighted the lack of attention Schneider's claims received until now.
This incident sheds light on the pervasive issue of normalized abuse in the entertainment industry, with numerous accounts emerging of exploitation and misconduct.
From Corey Feldman's revelations about a Hollywood paedophile ring to Thandie Newton's disturbing encounter with a director during an audition, the culture of enabling abusers must be addressed and challenged by those complicit in perpetuating such behavior.
