"FUCKING GOD"
A train passes over Paul (Marlon Brando) with eyes closed, ears covered and screams this quote into nothing but the air. He drags his feet forward, an expression of sheer torment on his face. A young woman passes by and stops, looks at him concerned and moves on. The woman is Jeanne (Maria Schneider), someone who should be smiling because she has everything the world can give her. She isn't but that's not what's important yet. She is on her way to look at a apartment. When she goes up to visit, Paul is sitting there in the dark like a vampire. They converse over whether the other is interested in the place or what would look good where. Paul goes to leave but stops, turns around and picks up the Jeanne. They have sex, knowing nothing about each other other than what personality came through during their small talk. The two part but this is hardly the end.
We see the lives of each party where the other does not. Jeanne is engaged and not far away from her wedding to film maker Tom (Jean-Pierre Leaud). He is filming his life with Jeanne as it were a movie and plans to end it with their wedding. Jeanne isn't pleased to be his play thing, she can't tell if he kisses her for the film or out of love. Paul operates a small hotel, that seems to be used more for affairs then anything else. His wife has committed suicide and Paul is torn apart by this. He loved her, but I would say he didn't really like her. We never know why she did such a thing, but we're given hints. She was having an affair with a local resident in the hotel. Paul knows this and chooses to study him more then hate him. He had something that Paul didn't have with his wife, maybe it was just not being Paul.
Paul and Jeanne both go back to the apartment and Paul tells her what they are going to do. They will not exchange names, history, or say anything about the outside world when they are in the apartment. They will use their time here for escaping life with physical needs. Paul is all to familiar with this. It would seem the only he can express himself now is through sex, the more degrading and bizarre the better (it will go there).
A lot will happen in this room, none of it moral or nice. Paul cares little for Jeanne here. It wouldn't matter who Paul was with here, he's not looking to connect. He ignores Jeanne for large portions of their time together and appears to have a thousand yard stare. Jeanne is curious about Paul and wants his attention, She hasn't ever be this ignored. They do share a little information, a chink in Paul's armor. However they aren't quite listening to each other, just taking in little bits to help themselves. They'll have strange and humiliating sex, but will never leave each other. This includes butter and some filthy dirty talk including a pig.
Jeanne doesn't want to return and doesn't understand why she keeps going back or stays there. There are several small reasons but I'd say it excites her. Paul wants to express himself through sex, that's it. Jeanne will become closer to her fiance as their film closes and her wedding day approaches. Paul (in a fantastic scene) says some harsh goodbyes to his wife as she lays in her casket, and is ready to move on. He sees Jeanne wondering the street and now wants to be in her life as his starts anew. The two visit a tango hall and in a drunken haze make fools of themselves. It's truly haunting watching Paul fall apart as Jeanne is ready to move past him. He chases her around the city, not letting this die. Something bad will happen and Paul will do the perfect thing as his final act in this movie. Jeanne plans on telling the police about Paul chasing her around and up to her apartment. She practices a speech to tell them. However it's as much as to Tom and even herself ("I didn't know this man").
Marlon Brando has given one of the greatest performances ever in this film. It's without a doubt in my mind his best. He has to show all the anger and sadness Paul contains and never misses a beat. Half the performance is improve and what he is saying, it's not Brando trying to act. Brando has become Paul in every sense of the word. Their world's have mixed. Only Brando could have pulled off this performance. His acting makes this movie better. However is there anything better than perfect, cause this would be it.
10/10
Recommendation: Like "The War Zone" it's dark, twisted and slow. However it's so entrancing that is benevolent to behold. Marlon Brando has made my top 5 performances ever, and the film is flawless as well.
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