Last Tango In Paris

This is a film about a doomed romance. In it, stars Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider do crazy things. There are many sex scenes. The two characters don't always treat each other well. Their relationship is usually destructive. Marlon Brando is in full-on "artiste" mode throughout, and seizes any opportunity to act like a madman. 

Is "Last Tango In Paris" exploitative of its female star Schneider? Can it be labelled as pornography even though the film's art director does an amazing job? ("Last Tango" is visually stunning; the walls of the apartment in which most of the film takes place look like discarded Rothko paintings - awesome.) These are questions I do not feel equipped to answer after a single viewing. And it's likely I'll never feel compelled to watch this again. But director Bernardo Bertolucci's talent is undeniable. There's something here, but it requires wading. Not everyone possesses the tolerance and open-mindedness required by "Last Tango In Paris". This is not necessarily a bad thing.