David Nezelek
Cibbuano
TyronneMarlon Brando
August 1st 2007 01:18
Marlon Brando
Becoming a legend
"An actor's a guy who, if you ain't talking about him, he ain't listening” - Marlon Brando
An icon of masculine energy, Marlon Brando was born in April 1924 and passed away in 2004. Picking up the mantle from the original method man Montgomery Clift, Brando defined the essence of cool and imploding with elevated fame led an eccentric existence.
Exploding into the public eye on Broadway as the temperamental Stanley in Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire, Brando physical menace and raw magnetism made him a theatrical sensation.
Unpredictable, always striving for spontaneity he made his big screen debut in Stanley Kramer’s The Men, playing a handicapped soldier. Typically immersing himself in the part and taking the Stanislavski method of acting to an extreme.
Revolutionizing the thespian world, his naturalism and seemingly improvised style made him one of the most influential artists ever to live when he appeared in the cinema adaptation of Streetcar for Director Elia Kazan.
Brando disappears in Mexico
Next came Viva Zapata where Bud (Marlon) disappeared behind make up and mannerisms to play the Mexican revolutionary. Striving as a serious performer the American boldly tackled Shakespeare on screen in Julius Caesar, meeting with universal praise.
Finally succumbing to his image in 1953 Brando became a rebel pin up boy as the motorcycle hood opposite Lee Marvin in the cult favorite The Wild One. Wearing Blue jeans, a white Hanes T-Shirt and a leather jacket the actor managed to established the uniform for rebels without a cause ever since.
"I coulda been a contender"
His early career reached its zenith with Elia Kazan’s On The Waterfront, where as an ex boxer who is corrupted by the dockland unions seeks redemption for a wasted life.
Burnt out from excessive focus on perfection, Brando began to slip into mediocre films to meet financial demands.
A notorious womanizer, psychologically deteriorating as fame took a strangle hold he quickly lost respect for the craft that made him a legend. Still immensely watch able onscreen his sometimes bizarre acting choices made for rich entertainment, if not often upsetting the tone of the work.
“Acting is the expression of a neurotic impulse. It's a bum's life. The principal benefit acting has afforded me is the money to pay for my psychoanalysis.” - Brando
Working steadily throughout the 1960’s the actor made his directorial debut with the Stanley Kubrick collaboration One Eyed Jacks, which served as a highlight for the period. Ahead of its time, starkly violent and obtuse the film was largely ignored on release but is now appreciated as a benchmark in the western genre.
Earning respect
Considered a liability and loon by the time the 1970’s rolled around, Director Francis Ford Coppolla put his own career on the line to ensure that Marlon became Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather. Winning an Oscar for the part and reestablishing himself as a force to be reckoned with he followed up the Mafia hit with the most introspective performance of his career in the “I cant believe its not butter” Last Tango in Paris.
The Horror, The Horror
Notably appearing in Coppolla’s Apocalypse Now in 1979 the now matured star announced himself to a new generation as Jor-El in Superman the Movie.
Refusing to mellow with age Marlon Brando was a uniquely gifted mimic who was seldom dull in front of the camera. His personal life was filled with tragedy and confusion but isn’t that the fuel of genius?
“I don't think it's the nature of any man to be monogamous. Men are propelled by genetically ordained impulses over which they have no control to distribute their seed.” - Brando
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Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...
Comment by Theresa
Today's World
Great post. Thank you.
Theresa