Remembering Marlon Brando.
July 3, 2004
It is said there was acting before Brando, and acting after Brando. That statement could not be farther from the truth. Before Brando there was a certain style of acting, mostly brought forth by the studio system of the 1930s and 40s. Brando’s first film role was in 1950’s The Men. Throughout the 50s Brando changed the face of acting as we know it. He was simply, the most influential figure in entertainment.
Over the past decades we have take Brando for granted. It’s a shame that someone has to die before they get their just due. Brando achieved massive success at such an early time that it almost ruined his career. By the time the late 60s rolled around, he was already thought of as a has-been. His career was brought back to life by The Godfather and Last Tango In Paris, two of the best films of the 70s, if not all time. Most say his last great role was that of Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, although he acted for many years after.
Brando had a raw talent that few others have. He was a genius. He brought a mix of traditional theatrical acting theory and the new theories of “the method.” These days everyone tries to act in a natural way. However, Brando backed it up with good acting training. He was not just all the naturalist we think of him, he really knew how to act. Many have followed him in this way. The first was probably James Dean. Dean had a knack at acting naturally and from the heart, but it can be questioned how much depth he had as an actor. Robert DeNiro followed in the same style. As did Sean Penn and Johnny Depp, and most recently, Edward Norton.
He could be a brut, a powerful male sex symbol and at the same time, appear shy and child like. To see him perform “A Streetcar Named Desire” on Broadway must have been one of the most power experiences in theatrical history. The film version gives an example of how power the work is. With “Streetcar” the actor almost over shadows the piece itself. If you read the play, it is clearly about Blanche, however, when you watch the film, you can’t help but he drawn in by Brando. The same goes for his performance in “On the Waterfront.”
The films I have listed are listed because they are the ones everyone know. To ask, what was Brando’s finest work; one of the mentioned above would surely be the answer. However, Brando had a huge body of work, and the lesser-known rolls are just as meaty and interesting. Take for example, “One Eyed Jacks,” a film that was originally supposed to be directed by Stanley Kubrick from a script by Sam Peckinpah. The script was rewritten and Kubrick dropped out to make The Killing, so Brando directed the film himself, for the only time in his career. The result is an absolutely amazingly forgotten western that ranks with some of his best work. It would’ve been great to see some studios take the chance on him and let him direct again. There is another excellent film, The Night of the Following Day, which shows Brando giving his all. The performance would predate The Godfather by four years.
Hopefully with his passing new generations will fine interest in his older films. Brando had become almost a cartoon of himself in recent years. Jokes about his weight and his kissing Larry King on the mouth seemed the only way he could get any attention. An actor friend of mine, David Mort, and I have often talked about Brando in regards to the use of method acting. The toll it takes on ones personally and lifestyle is harsh. Perhaps, Brando’s gift is what partially led to his downfall. Luckily, we have all the old films to remind us of how great he was. Sean Penn was on the Charlie Rose show last night and he said, “Music will never get better than Tchaikovshy, painting will never get better than Rembrandt, and acting will never get better than Brando.”
Marlon Brando 1924-2004
Written by David Bohnert