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.