In a shocking revelation, renowned director Bernardo Bertolucci has disclosed his involvement in orchestrating a non-consensual rape scene in the iconic film ‘Last Tango in Paris,' marking it as one of Hollywood's most notorious moments.
The video confession surfaced recently, unraveling the truth that Maria Schneider, the film's star, never gave her consent for the distressing scene.
Bertolucci confessed in a 2013 footage that he and Marlon Brando devised the idea to film a harrowing assault scene where Brando's character employs a stick of butter to perpetrate the act on Schneider.
Notably, at the time of filming, Brando was 48 years old while Schneider was merely 19.
During an event held at La Cinémathèque Française in Paris in 2013, Bertolucci openly shared, “The notion of using butter in the scene was a concept that Marlon and I conceived before commencing shooting.”
Despite acknowledging feeling some remorse towards his treatment of Schneider, he justified his actions by stating that he aimed to elicit a genuine reaction from Schneider as a person, not just as an actress.
“I intended for her to respond feeling humiliated,” Bertolucci explained.
“My objective was for Maria to experience the humiliation and rage genuinely.
Consequently, she harbored animosity towards both Marlon and me because we kept her uninformed.”
He further emphasized that he harbored no regrets regarding his direction of the controversial scene.
Following her participation in ‘Last Tango in Paris,' Schneider refrained from filming any additional n^de scenes.
Subsequently, she battled with drug addiction and depression, attributing these struggles to the notoriety the film brought her.
In an exclusive statement to the Daily Mail in 2007, Schneider expressed feeling violated by the entire encounter.
“I experienced humiliation, and truth be told, I felt somewhat violated, both by Marlon and Bertolucci,” Schneider candidly revealed.
“Post-scene, Marlon failed to offer solace or extend an apology.
Fortunately, only one take was required.”
For confidential assistance and support concerning instances of rape or s–ual assault, individuals can reach out to the National s–ual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE, available round-the-clock.
Additionally, anonymous instant messaging services are accessible at online.rainn.org for those seeking guidance and aid.
