Dear Diary,
I didn't get to watch THE GAME last night, and probably won't tonight. THE WALKING DEAD is on, and it's also the season finale of WESTWORLD. I'm planning to watch those tonight.
Earlier this past week, I wrote about how Universal shared a 16-second teaser for the new MUMMY reboot starring Tom Cruise. That teaser ended with a line that said "Trailer Sunday." At the time writing, I have yet to see the full trailer. I suspect it will be online sometime tonight, possibly alongside Sunday Night Football on NBC.
The big topic I came across today today was this article from Elle Magazine about Bernardo Bertolucci and Marlon Brando conspiring to rape Maria Schneider for a scene in LAST TANGO IN PARIS.
Bertolucci and Brando conceived the idea of Brando's widower character, Paul, raping Schneider's Jeanne with a stick of butter on a whim. The scene wasn't in the script, and allegedly, Schneider had little to no warning before they shot it. Now many are expressing their disgust towards Brando with some saying that his great legacy - which includes essential classics like THE GODFATHER and APOCALYPSE NOW - is forever tarnished, if not completely ruined.
Here's my personal dilemma with this issue: back in 2007, Schneider herself told the Daily Mail that no physical harm ever took place on the set. According to the actress, all the sex scenes were simulated. Brando never forced himself on her at any time; she just felt as though she had been manipulated by her co-star and director into doing something that she didn't agree to in her contract. To me, that doesn't sound at all like "sexual assault," which implies a physical altercation. The damage here was more psychological. Still, the fact that Brando and Bertolucci conspired to do anything without considering the interests of Schneider is terrible. Many of the film's viewers could also probably argue whether or not Schneider's natural reaction in the scene is any more convincing than if she'd acted as if it were scripted. This is a shitty situation, but for me, it doesn't affect the way I feel about Brando's work in APOCALYPSE NOW, THE GODFATHER, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, ON THE WATERFRONT or any of the remarkable films he's done. How could it? These are separate films each with separate circumstances, and it's never been a secret that Brando was difficult to work with. I've personally never seen the man as a role model, so this news simply all but confirms that for me. Tim Molloy wrote a nice, clear-headed piece for The Wrap about this whole thing which I encourage you to check out here before denying yourself a re-watch of ONE-EYED JACKS.
Until tomorrow,
BC
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