Last Tango in Paris rape scene not simulated, says director

[thenoise]

Whether it's justifiable to mistreat actors in order to make the scene better is a good question, and I'm conflicted on that matter.

I've never been convinced by all this method bullshit, plenty of powerful performances have been from actors who are 'just pretending'.  If they can't pretend authentically, then they shouldn't be on screen.

I think what Bertolucci (and Brando) did in this film is completely indefensible, as is Kubrick's bullying of Shelley Duvall in the Shining, Friedkin waving a loading gun about in the Exorcist, James Cameron doing all sorts of horrendous shit from the Abyss to Titanic, etc. etc.  I don't think it's helpful to pretend that a fictional, simulated rape scene that she consented to but later regretted is somehow the same as actual rape.