Moments like this one made me yearn to be an actor when I was a kid, and yearn to be a good one – He set the bar for me, for so many of us:
His influence is beyond description. I am deeply mournful right now. His work has meant so much to me. To so many.
Rest in peace, Marlon.
Amazing, isn’t it? I never saw the Godfather movies because it was such a travesty to see him so deformed by age and obesity. His acting skills may or may not have been able to transcend the physical, but I didn’t want to find out.
I don’t think there has ever been such a coldly sexual couple as him and Vivien Leigh in Streetcar Named Desire. Even in black and white (maybe especially because it’s in black and white) it’s beyond evocative – it’s like reality only better. Sexier.
Can’t wait to read your post about it. I’m sure you’ll be more cogent than this post is.
Thank you, rightthinkinggirl. :) I will do my best. When he was good, there was no one better.
I’ve quoted this before – but I’m not sure if you read my site often. Stella Adler, who had him in her acting class as a young man before he was famous, said about him:
“Sending Marlon Brando to acting class was like sending a tiger to jungle school.”
Brando was excellent in The Godfather. It was afterwards that he and his film choices went downhill.
My father hated Brando. he thought Brando’s acting was the worst thing ever to happen to Hollywood. All sneer and nuance. To my father, Brando had no “style” like Gable or Grant or Bogart or any of the other great leading men of his day. What he could not see was that Brando was his own style, and that it changed everything about acting. Forever.
Good stuff, Marlon. Thank you.
I’ve never been a real big fan of Brando. But recently my wife bought the Guys and Dolls DVD. And it’s hilarious. Brando is really good in it, and you can see him being the bad guy, but he’s also really falling in love with this girl. He may be conflicted, but he’s never lying.
Steve
Actually, my prime memory of Brando is in Apocalypse Now. I’ve seen that more than any other movie he was in. By then he was old and fat, but you can see the energy. He had a very magnetic soul even in an old and fat, run-down body.
Steve
To me – in the fire of his youth, the energy of youth – where he just DID NOT CARE – also, when he collaborated with Elia Kazan – was the most fruitful time of his career. He was always relatively ambivalent about acting. He’s always interesting to watch, though – even in stuff when you can tell he either doesn’t know his lines, or he’s just getting a paycheck.
It shouldn’t be surprising when someone of Brando’s age dies, especially considering the shape he was in, but in his case, it is. He was just such a TITAN, albeit a mortal one. When people like him pass on, they don’t really “die”, they just stop breathing.
And for you, dear Sheila, I link this photo, which perhaps more than any other I can think of, just screams “SEX!” God that man was hot.
Dear Red – Loved the line from The Wild Ones, ”
Q: “What are you rebelling against?”
A: “Whata you got?”
He had IT. Best, Terry
I love that picture from The Wild Ones – yes, very sexy. Have been away from my computer all day, but knew I had to check in here when I got home, for the Brando love.
My condolences.
Sheila,
I was sorry to hear of his death. One of my closest friends was/is a huge fan, just like you, so a condolence note went off to her this morning. She was a young girl when she discovered Brando and watched all the films she could get her hands on…she loved him dearly, obsessed, talked about him all the time. She’s heart-broken, just like you. He was a great one. May he rest in peace.