Filming without consent: Did the 'Butter Rape Scene' take art too far?

The rape scene in the film Last Tango in Paris came as a shock to Maria Schneider.

Sarwat Fatima Sarwat Fatima
दिसंबर 05, 2016
How can the filmmaker or anyone else in the business violate a woman in the name of art? Photo courtesy: YouTube/ Voxi

Out of all the quotes that we have come across on art, Conrad Hall's probably stands out. The American cinematographer once said: "I realize that every picture isn't a work of art". And we agree. Not everything that is done in the name of art is pleasing or for that matter, acceptable. It's imperative to understand where to draw a line.

Director Bernardo Bertolucci's latest revelation about 'Butter Rape Scene' in the film Last Tango in Paris has shocked us to the core. Apparently, the assault scene featuring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider was filmed without informing the actress, beforehand! In case you have not seen the movie, here's what it is about: a widowed American man (Brando) begins an anonymous sexual relationship with a young Parisian woman (Schneider). And in one of the scenes, Brando's character rapes Schneider with a butter stick.

Also read: Do you live in constant fear of getting raped? You are not alone

The film courted controversy post its release, courtesy the sexual violence becoming the mainstay as far as the plot was concerned. However, it was not until recently that the director revealed he had not informed Schneider about the rape scene until he actually began shooting it. "The sequence of the butter is an idea that I had with Marlon in the morning before shooting. I wanted her to react humiliated. I didn't want Maria to act her humiliation her rage, I wanted her to feel it", he said at an event held in Paris.

What utter bullshit! How can the filmmaker or anyone else in the business violate a woman in the name of art? There is indeed a vast difference between acting and reality, but it's up to the woman to decide whether she wants to go ahead with something she is not comfortable with. Clearly, in this case, Schneider wasn't. In 2007, the actress gave an interview to the Daily Mail, where she said, "I felt humiliated and to be honest, I felt a little raped, both by Marlon and by Bertolucci. After the scene, Marlon didn't console me or apologise".

"That scene wasn't in the original script. Marlon said to me: Maria, don't worry, it's just a movie, but during the scene, even though what Marlon was doing wasn't real, I was crying real tears", she further continued. Mission accomplished Mr. Bertolucci! However, little do people know that it took years for Schneider to come out of depression and addiction. Also, scarred for life, the actress never shot for a nude scene again.

In the movie business, faking intimacy is not a big deal. But assault sure is. Subjecting a woman to sexual violence just to justify the plot is sheer travesty. You just can't go about forcing women to strip and call it art. Sexual violence is a crime--be it on a film set or the world outside, and nothing can justify it.

Also read: And then, he groped me...

 

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