In a recently surfaced video, Bernardo Bertolucci, the director of the 1972 film “Last Tango in Paris,” has confessed that he and actor Marlon Brando devised the controversial “butter” scene without the consent or knowledge of actress Maria Schneider.
The film, which received an X-rating due to its explicit s** scenes between 48-year-old Brando's character, Paul, and 19-year-old Schneider's character, Jeanne, caused a significant uproar at the time.
The particular scene in question involved Brando using a stick of butter in a way that Schneider did not anticipate.
During a 2013 interview, Bertolucci openly admitted that Brando's actions could be seen as a form of rape, despite having the director's consent.
“The idea for the butter scene was something Marlon and I came up with that morning before shooting it,” Bertolucci revealed.
“I was terrible to Maria because I intentionally kept her in the dark about what was going to happen.
I wanted her genuine reaction as a young woman, not as an actress.”
He continued, stating that he wanted Schneider to genuinely feel humiliated and angry during the scene.
Bertolucci expressed his awareness that both Schneider and Brando resented him for not informing her of the details beforehand.
Although Bertolucci admitted feeling guilt, he maintained that he did not regret his decision, as he believed complete freedom was necessary to achieve the desired outcome.
He added that he wanted Schneider to experience real emotions of rage and humiliation, even if it meant she would harbor resentment towards him for the rest of her life.
Schneider, who passed away in 2011, had previously spoken out about the scene in a 2007 interview with the Daily Mail.
She revealed that the encounter left her feeling “humiliated” and “a little raped.”
Surprisingly, neither Brando nor Bertolucci offered an apology following the scene.
“During the scene, despite Marlon's actions not being real, I cried genuine tears.
I felt humiliated and, to be honest, violated, both by Marlon and Bertolucci,” the French actress disclosed.
“Afterwards, Marlon did not console me or apologize.
Luckily, it only took one take.”
Schneider acknowledged her youth and relative inexperience at the time, admitting that she did not fully understand the s**ual nature of the film.
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