Being Maria

In an age when rights and protections for women are increasingly being placed in jeopardy, their preservation is imperative, and nowhere is this more apparent perhaps than in writer-director Jessica Palud's latest feature. In this flashback to a time when things were very different for women, the filmmaker places the spotlight on the sexist, demeaning demands that were placed on actress Maria Schneider (1952-2011) (Anamaria Vartolomei). Schneider's big career break came at age 19, when she was cast opposite screen legend Marlon Brando (Matt Dillon) in "Last Tango in Paris" (1972), the highly controversial hyper-erotic feature from director Bernardo Bertolucci (Giuseppe Maggio). What should have been a tremendous opportunity for the aspiring actress turned nightmarish when Bertolucci changed the nature of the film's ending without informing Schneider of what it entailed, a move allegedly aimed at getting as "natural" a performance out of her as possible. Shockingly, that change in plans resulted in one of cinema's darkest and most disturbing moments, when Schneider was subjected to a degrading act of debasement that affected her deeply, not only as shooting was wrapping up, but also afterward in both her professional and personal life. Her reaction was indeed "natural" in that it evoked severe fear and anguish in her (and among audiences) as it played out, ostensibly depicting an act of rape that appeared so authentically that it was difficult to believe it was merely simulated. In the wake of this outrageous atrocity, many filmgoers scorned Schneider for lascivious on-screen behavior (none of which originated with her), and she was subsequently only offered roles primarily built around the perception she was little more than a sex object, developments that Schneider spoke out about publicly but was quickly silenced by the movers and shakers in the male-dominated movie industry. In turn, these incidents troubled her so profoundly that she sought refuge as a heroin addict, subsequently experiencing financial difficulties and strained relations with her partner, Noor (Céleste Brunnquell), and her staunchly supportive Uncle Michel (Jonathan Couzinié), the only relative who stood by her through these crises. And, even though Schneider managed to steadily find work in mostly smaller roles throughout much of the remainder of her career, she was never the same person she was before the trauma she underwent on set. This offering thus presents viewers with a disturbing cautionary tale not only about what happened to the actress, but also of what women often had to endure at the time, conditions that, sadly, could be making a resurgence as safeguards protecting them against such treatment are being systematically dismantled. Because of that, "Being Maria" makes for a very disturbing watch at times, a picture sure to provoke justified outrage among viewers. In telling Schneider's story, the filmmaker has crafted an edgy but engaging work that features superb performances by leads Vartolomei and Dillon, as well as by Maggio as the creepy director who spawned these despairing developments. Admittedly, there are times when the pacing here could stand to be a bit brisker, but that's a small consideration in the face of everything else that this release gets right. To be sure, one might not feel comfortable in watching this biopic, but, then, that's the point of it - showing the unspeakable indignities that this woman faced and that society should do all it can to prevent from happening again.

If this was even more of a comedy it could possibly have been the funnest film ever made. However it fails because its filmmaker is a talentless and twisted women who was unfortunately not laughing during production. Amazing this ridiculous film got made. See Last Tango in Paris as it is truly a masterpiece. Not as good a The Brown Bunny but close. If this was even more of a comedy it could possibly have been the funnest film ever made. However it fails because its filmmaker is a talentless and twisted women who was unfortunately not laughing during production. Amazing this ridiculous film got made. See Last Tango in Paris as it is truly a masterpiece. Not as good a The Brown Bunny but close.

Chewed up and spat out by the horrific practices of the past.

A very interesting movie about Maria Schneider and the aftermath of her mistreatment at the hands of Marlon Brando and Bernardo Bertolucci during the filming of Last Tango In Paris.

The lead actress is excellent as the titular character but like all biographical films it ends up being a whistle stop tour of her live. Informative though it is.

The movie is well made and captures the oeuvre of the day.

The rest of the cast is fine and Schneider's downfall is played with respect and honesty.

The movie does miss out a couple of points in her life. Namely her promiscuity as a budding actress is glossed over to make the assault caught on camera all the more shocking. Also her later life consisted of campaigning to get actors more protection from devious directors and producers that prey upon the young and vulnerable.

I looked for (and managed to) see , at the first opportunity 'Being Maria', the film that Jessica Palud directed and co-wrote about the biography of Maria Schneider and how her role in 'Last Tango in Paris' influenced her life and career. I knew that the film was based on the book by Vanessa Schneider - Maria's cousin - and that therefore I could expect not only a rigorously documented script but also a close and empathetic perspective on the actress. I was curious to see how the changes in attitudes related to nudity, sex and the roles of women on screen that took place between 1970 and our post-me-too days are reflected. Finally, I was curious to see how Anamaria Vartolomei, a beautiful and talented actress, copes with this complex and difficult role. On this occasion, I also learned an anecdotal-biographical detail that I did not know: Maria Schneider's mother was originally from Romania, as are Anamaria Vartolomei and her parents.

As a biopic, 'Being Maria' is a little different than I expected. The screenwriters and director chose to focus on the filming of Bertolucci's film and the famous rape scene. They managed to build a convincing feminist plea based on the actress's accounts of what happened on set and tried to demonstrate that everything that followed in her life and career was determined by that moment. And yet, in parallel with the failures in her personal life, with the psychological instability and drug addiction, there were artistic comebacks and overcoming of depression and trauma in Maria Schneider's later life and career. She created several remarkable roles and worked with directors such as Michelangelo Antonioni, René Clément and Jacques Rivette, among others. Drawing on her own experience, she became a campaigner for equal rights for actresses and for the necessary support for older actors and filmmakers. Her post-Tango life was marked by trauma and struggles with her problems, but it was not a total disaster.

I liked the first part of the film the most. Maria was born from an extramarital affair of her father (a fairly well-known actor) who never assumed paternity. The scenes depicting Maria's relationships with her mother who raised her as a single mother, but also with her father and his 'traditional' family are excellent, also benefiting from the subtle interpretation of the father's role by Yvan Attal. Even though the reason why Bertolucci (played by Italian actor Giuseppe Maggio) chose her for the role in 'Last Tango in Paris' is not clarified, the scenes on the set manage to reconstruct the atmosphere of the filming and convincingly reproduce the context, the circumstances and the reactions of the main characters in the most famous and infamous scene of the film. Matt Dillon does one of the best roles of his career, in my opinion, bringing to life on screen Marlon Brando, a great actor who was also struggling with his own demons and who was actually starting here the slide down the slope of physical and personal decline. Anamaria Vartolomei was not only very good but even exceeded my expectations - she is beautiful, complex, vulnerable, revolted. If she will be blessed with roles on a par with the one in this film, she will become one of the stars of her generation. Unfortunately, in 'Being Maria', as in the heroine's life - as presented in the film -, everything that follows 'Last Tango in Paris' disappoints. The downward slope of Maria's life and career is described in gloomy tones and almost all the situations we see from a moment on are predictable because we have seen them in dozens of other films. Maria Schneider's biography itself, actresses dignity on the screens and the power to say NO deserved a more articulate plea from an artistic point of view. The film is, however, worth watching and debating.