I must say, I don't get the big deal. Not even adjusted for inflation, after nearly 50 years, this remains the highest grossing NC-17 rated movie of all time. It's an infamous Marlon Brando performance and Bernardo Bertolucci film. Personally, I found it dull. Marlon Brando's character just plain sucks. I barely understand Maria Schneider's character's attraction to him. It doesn't help that in hindsight, I know how badly she was mistreated while filming certain scenes. The best I can gather, the success was a case of perfect timing. Audiences were intrigued by the New Hollywood movement breaking down barriers. This movie felt dangerous but including Brando, fresh off The Godfather, gave it legitimacy. This is the perfect era to sell audiences on titillation in a theater. Deep Throat became a hit the year before. VHS was still a decade away. This was an era when people were eager to see something tawdry in a group setting. A couple years earlier and this movie would've been too shocking and lacked the star power. A couple years later and it would've looked tame. This movie's success is a phenomenon I find interesting, but the film itself I don't at all.
Verdict: Weakly Don't Recommend
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