Filmmaker Bertolucci dies at 77

Bernardo Bertolucci, the Italian filmmaker who won Oscars with “The Last Emperor” and whose erotic drama “Last Tango in Paris” enthralled and shocked the world, died Monday at his home in Rome. He was 77.

His death was confirmed by his wife, Clare Peploe, in a statement that did not specify the cause.

Bertolucci’s early work reflected the revolutionary spirit of the 1960s and ‘70s, in particular the shifting social and sexual mores of the times.

He drew inspiration from the French new wave and routinely worked across borders and with international casts.

‘‘The Last Emperor’’ (1987), a lavish biopic of Pu Yi, who became the emperor of China at the age of 3, won all nine Academy Awards for which it was nominated, including best picture and best director.

But Bertolucci’s bestknown — and most controversial — film came earlier in his career: “Last Tango in Paris” (1972), an explicit depiction of the intense sexual relationship between a middle-aged American widower and a young Frenchwoman (played by Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider). The film was lauded by some for pushing the boundaries of sexual representation, and denounced by others as misogynistic or pornographic.

“Last Tango” received an X rating, landed on the covers of Time and Newsweek, and earned $36 million at the U.S. box office alone. In Italy, the film was the subject of a protracted obscenity trial. In 1976, the Italian Supreme Court ordered all copies destroyed and handed Bertolucci a four-month suspended sentence.

Despite working with A-list American and international stars, Bertolucci always defended his film-making style against what he said was the pressure of the U.S. film industry. Bertolucci