Je T'aime Moi Non Plus (1976)

A gay garbageman (Joe Dallesandro) finds himself attracted to an androgynous waitress (Jane Birkin) at a truck stop cafe much to the chagrin of his lover (Hugues Quester). But he can only consummate the relationship sexually by pretending she's a boy. Written and directed by Serge Gainsbourg, the film never received a U.S. release and caused a scandal in Paris and London. I found the film unpleasant though I suppose that's exactly what I was supposed to feel although my aversion may not have been the sort Gainsbourg intended. I couldn't help but feel Birkin was being exploited (she was Gainsbourg's lover at the time) even if she was a willing participant. Birkin's boyish girl is so besotted with the garbageman that she submits to painful and often humiliating sex to please him. Even though the sex is plentiful, I can't think of a more unerotic series of sex scenes. Clearly, Gainsbourg thought he was making something meaningful but LAST TANGO IN PARIS, it's not! Birkin's playing doormat to Dallesandro's selfish desires eventually renders her unappealing rather than sad. In fact, there isn't a single likable character in the film (unless its Birkin's pet pit bull) from Rene Kolldehoff's farting homophobe to Gerard Depardieu's creepy gay who boasts of his appendage sending his sexual partners to the hospital. Gainsbourg also composed the film's monotonous underscore. To the film's credit, I wasn't bored but still .....