Marlon Brando Appreciation Thread

The greatest actor has to have his own thread. I thought he did a great job directing "One-Eyed Jacks" too.

The man revolutionized acting. Actors before him acted like actors, Brando acted like a human being.

Also a very interesting guy in general. A true rebel, non-conformist, funny, and pretty open about his life considering..

Looking forward to the documentary of his coming out - 200 hours of his private tapes packed into a doc.

He had homosexual experiences, you know.

In fact, his ashes were mixed with Wally Cox, who many say was his gay lover.

Brando is a legend even if I'm not the biggest fan of The Godfather

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Big fan of Brando! I have yet to see all of his work.
The Brando films I've seen are below, the bolded ones are those I thought were especially good.

1979 Apocalypse Now
1972 Last Tango in Paris
1967 Reflections in a Golden Eye
1962 Mutiny on the Bounty
1958 The Young Lions
1956 The Teahouse of the August Moon
1955 Guys and Dolls
1954 On the Waterfront
1953 Julius Caesar
1952 Viva Zapata!
1951 A Streetcar Named Desire

On The Waterfront was my favorite movie in high school.. I got into a car accident that totaled my car as I went to the mall JUST to get that film. I got home, watched it. Loved it and watched it again. A few years ago I watched "Last Tango in Paris" about 4 times in a week.

I saw the film Burn! with a great director, Pontecorvo, famous for "The Battle of Algiers" which is a Top 10 film all-time. I don't remember much of it though, I do remember it very political, and I know Brando liked it.

Brando was terrible in Guys and Dolls, but his performance in A Streetcar Named Desire was my # 1 choice for Lead Actor performances in movie history...a film I never tire of watching and a performance I never tire of studying.

I don't remember "Guys and Dolls" too much but I do remember not liking the film or thinking much of any roles. I think maybe Brando just wanted to be in a musical. That and money...

Never watched The Godfather, Citizen? Is there any reason or have you just not gotten around to it? The only reason i ask is that with someone like you who has seen loads of Hollywood movies spread out over most decades while being a big fan of Brando? It seems really weird you haven't seen it yet

I'm shocked too. We demand answers Citizen.

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It better be something like my pet goat died on the set of The Godfather, or i wont be happy

Seriously though i would predict a middle of the road response from you here Citizen. I don't see you hating it but i also can't see it becoming a major favourite.

CR, I also HIGHLY recommend The Godfather. At one point this was my favorite film ever as well. As Coppola and Brando said, the movie is a metaphor for the American economic system. Amazing acting as well.

I just seen your guys' replies and questions for me. Oh man! what a way to get a movie home, too bad about your car. I liked on The Waterfront pretty well, but did not like Last Tango in Paris. I can't remember why but I shut it off after about 45 minutes.

OK, OK...I do have a good reason why. I actually did see The Godfather, but when I was a little kid, my parents took me along to the drive-in theater. All I remember was the horses head in the bed scene. I do want to watch it again someday as I don't feel like I've really seen it.

Everything surrounding and including the "horses head" scene could be lifted out the film IMO. Tom Hagans little adventure is the most pointless thing in the film. I always felt Michael telling Kay what Luca Brasi did for his father was perfect, the little sidestory that does nothing other than give a pointless nod to Frank Sinatra... erm

Rules has a lot of e'splainin' to do for not seeing the Godfather in his adulthood.

I had similar experiences where I saw parts of it on TV as a kid, but never really watched it.

And I always felt Goodfellas (which I couldn't help comparing it to) had something of a "funner" feel to it.

But my appreciation for The Godfather has grown over the years.
I've relayed this other times, but years ago when I went to the "video store" (yes, kids, there was such a thing!) a guy there sold me on renting the combined version of I & II which tells the story in chronological order. Part II has a major flashback that takes place long before events in Part I. The combined version basically eliminates the flashbacks and tells the story of a couple generations of the Corleone family chronologically.

I'm not sure which to recommend to Rules - the original two movies or the combined version which works because the first two Godfather movies are much like the first two Superman movies - they work as one big movie broken up into two parts.

P.S. And I think we all agree that Rules can skip Part III.

Oh - and back to Brando. I never really got why he is so hailed for the Godfather. The crux of the movie seems to be the focus on Michael's (Pacino) story and evolution.
Brando's good, no doubt, but how hard is it to play a Mafia family patriarch who's gotten too old to run his family? It seems almost anyone could stuff some cotton balls in their cheeks, squint their eyes and mumble like an old Italian man. So, again, his performance was good, it's become an iconic & classic performance, but I was never blown away by his acting or understood why people think this was such a difficult role that only the mastery of Brando could pull off.

I'm not criticizing his performance or the movie (they're both great) just wondering why some people think this was the greatest piece of acting ever set to film.

Citizen, just watch the first two and see what you think. Avoid that conjoined abomination, CS is talking about at all costs

Also Part 3 is pretty good too, way overhated.

I'm not arguing, but why do people dislike that combined version so much? All it does is take the flashback from part II and put it in the beginning.

Greatest actor of all time IMO. His 50s work is amazing and some of his 60s work is a bit underrated. And of course a lot of his 70s comeback was great too.

He no doubt changed acting forever. I've heard several actors over the years saying he greatly influenced their careers.

Should have nominated Godfather for the HOF. Hook that up Citizen, they are worth your time. I reluctantly agree with Camo about the horse head. By far my least favorite sequence in the film but it is also iconic.

I was joking i haven't even seen it. Still ithink the first film giving you a feel for Vito, Clemenza and Tessio while showing you how the life is now followed by Part 2 showing you how it all began is so perfect. Plus the flashbacks really gel with Michaels story in Part 2. Doesn't sound bad though.