Marlon Brando

[charliechaplinfan]

I wonder if there has ever been an actor from the classic period who has been as controversial as Marlon Brando, love him or hate him, I know plenty that do, he had a big effect on movie acting and left, in my mind, a handful of the most powerful performances on screen. When I started getting into movies he wasn't someone I'd considered watching and then he brought out his autobiography and one of our TV channels had a Brando week, there I was introduced to On The Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Wild One, Sayonara and Last Tango In Paris and I saw a new style of screen acting and widened my movie viewing, which had mainly concentrated on the 30s and 40s, to take in the 50s, 60s and 70s. I was at the beginning of becoming a student of film in those days, I didn't realise the huge impact Brando had had on todays actors.

From Brando I discovered Montgomery Clift, another powerful performer, James Dean has never moved me as much as these two but he had potential. The Method school of acting took off with some established stars taking part in workshops. As far as I know Montgomery Clift did not study there but has always been linked to the Method just the same.

I've just watched The Men, for the first time and it seemed to start a thread about Brando with his first movie. Brando lived amongst the veterans preparing for this role and for his screen debut it's a heck of a story and a heck of a performance, at first I didn't think he was the fully developed screen Brando but once the story got going, there was no doubt, he didn't ned to warm up to screen acting, he was a natural and never would you think he or any of the other actors had use of their legs. Directed by Stanley Kramer, who isn't the most subtle of directors, I did feel at times that the angst was laid on with a trowel a little but the intention was to get the public thinking about the injured vets. I didn't know the answer to a lot of questions posed at the beginning by families and it did take it's time to establish the characters of the vets and the mood of the ward and the kindness and honesty of the doctor. Brando took on a very physical role, he had to learn how to get around in a wheelchair, which I understand he lived in and he had to work on building up his upper body. When he tears off the sheets to show Teresa Wright what he is and when he comes home after the wedding and she can't take it in and he turns back to the hospital, the powerful nature of the storyline was deftly handled by the two leads, the pain, the anger, the failing to reach one another, they don't overplay and the film doesn't run overlong, it manages quite tidyily to run to 85 minutes whilst packing in death, disability, comedy, humanity. Marlon's last scene with Brock the doctor, played by Everett Sloane was a lesson in underplaying. The three leads, one from the theatre, two established screen players didn't put a foot wrong. The other men playing the vets, were brilliant and their stories just as poignant. Leo gambling, never seems to get a visitor, then his Dad turns up and taps him for some money and just dissappears, Norm, taken in by a pretty girl who fleeces him and Angel who tries so hard and is beaten. It's quite a movie.

[charliechaplinfan]

I guess I might just be the only person on this board who likes Brando. Perhaps he's been over sold in the States or his personal life has brought up things about him which are distasteful, or perhaps he doesn't fit into the classic period or perhaps that mumbling has put many off him. I think he left behind some powerful performances, he left behind some ones not worthy of him because he didn't think much to his talent, that's a pity. In later years he seemed to come across as arrogant but when I look at those early movies, he still gets me, every time.

[Western Guy]

One thing about Brando. He provided Hollywood with one of its most sensational comebacks . . . and then, in typical Marlon style, almost threw his career back under the bus when he refused the Oscar for "The Godfather".

[CineMaven]

No Alison...I'd say you are not alone in liking Brando. I've enjoyed his performances. I've just got to sit down with a movie of his I like, and weigh in on it on your thread. Between Brando and Montgomery Clift and James Dean, they've changed the face of Acting.

[mongoII]

Whether you like him or dislike him, he is an actor be be reckoned with...one of the best.
He has entertained me in many a movie and I thank him.

[charliechaplinfan]

We're probably as one with the performances we like, those films from the fifties, then what happened? I agree, one of the biggest comebacks ever then he refuses his Oscar. Who knows what goes on in people's head but Marlon hit the big time pretty early on, he never knew the hunger of an actor constantly looking for work, he could command huge salaries. If only he had more application, less of a tendency to get bored and a respect for the work he did.

[Rita Hayworth]

Marlon Brando is one of those actors that I just could never quite put a finger on and I have a tremendous dislike and like about him in general. I just don't understand why he turned down his Oscar in his role as Don Vito Corleone in the Godfather back in 1972. It's boggles my mind.

I was shocked when he agreed to become Jor-El in Christopher Reeve's Superman Movie back in 1978.

To me, he is full of surprises and when one of my friends who loves movies knew that I had a love/hate relationship with Brando (did not tell me that Brando was in it) ... told me to watch The Teahouse of the August Moon of which Marlon Brando played a character by the name of Sakini was a joy to watch. I loved it so much ... and it was on Turner Classic Movies that day and quickly ordered the DVD.

Whether you like him or dislike him, he is an actor be be reckoned with...one of the best.
He has entertained me in many a movie and I thank him.

This quote from Joe is pretty much how I feel about him.

[RedRiver]

You are definitely not alone, Chaplin Fan. Brando was a raw, pure actor, with more depth than most. He made some pretty bad movies. But rarely was his performance inadequate.

I was introduced to On The Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire

You started with the best. I don't think anyone will fault his work in those classics!

[charliechaplinfan]

I haven't watched The Teahouse of the August Moon, I really would like to. I think he got to a point in the late 50s were journalists wanted to shot him down and when he took chances, like here it back fired against him. I love Guys and Dolls, casting Frank Sinatra and Brando in one movie was brilliant, it didn't matter that Brando sang as quietly as he spoke, it's a real feel good movie with an excellent score and great chemistry although I gather that at this point Frank wasn't a big Brando fan.

Red, why he didn't get more Oscars for these early performances is beyond me, there's only Montgomery Clift who projects the same intensity.

[CineMaven]

BRANDO stars opposite Richard Boone ( now there's a match made in Heaven! ) in "NIGHT OF THE FOLLOWING DAY" featured as one of the films in the exciting line up at the Roxie for its annual "NOT NECESSARILY NOIR" film festival, October 19th - October 31st in San Francisco. Click on the blonde Brando to check this out:



And here to see Brando and Boone in action:

[charliechaplinfan]

Thank you, I'll try to get to it over the weekend, I haven't seen this Brando movie but I do know it's meant to be one of his better later movies, before he moved on to The Godfather and Last Tango in Paris.

[CineMaven]

Didn't mean to mis-lead you. What I posted above was just the trailer for "Night of the Following Day."

[RedRiver]

it's meant to be one of his better later movies

Not by me, it's not. This is a terrible movie. Dark, ugly, grotesque and unpleasant. Wallowing in violence as if it's art. I saw it at the theater when it came out. Watched at least some of it on TV years later. Somehow it got worse.

[charliechaplinfan]

Well, it won't be the first time I've discovered that a critic is wrong in their opinion Red.

Thanks for the trailer Theresa, I appreciate it