Marlon Brando

[MortSahlFan]

Any fans? I think he's not only the greatest actor, but he finally made acting more natural.... Very interesting man outside of the movies, too.

[Dr Syntax Head]

Marlon JD is one of my favourite late era Manics songs. That's all I got.

[Steven]

I've heard he was good at buttering up actresses.

[Bronzy]

Don't stick that lurpak in me fanny marlon

[bgmnts]

He coulda been a contender.

[Blumf]

I'll always remember him for his defining roll in Superman Returns

[Sin Agog]

The Maysles' Meet Marlon Brando is a pretty fascinating document of him at his swaggiest.  There's one scene where's he's being interviewed by a French journalist, to whom he responds in perfect French, before wooing a gorgeous young black mother into giving him her number, before continuing the interview without missing a beat.  This is it: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pU8JtongMTk

[Gregory Torso]

He liked ketchup sandwitches.

[gatchamandave]

Mind the oranges Marlon !!!

[Steven]

Named one of his kids after a frog-shaped chocolate bar, he's a monster.

[Dr Rock]

Perfect casting as Superman's dad. I think there are more scenes of him in the Donner Cut of Superman 2, which is highly recommended.

[MortSahlFan]

The Maysles' Meet Marlon Brando is a pretty fascinating document of him at his swaggiest.  There's one scene where's he's being interviewed by a French journalist, to whom he responds in perfect French, before wooing a gorgeous young black mother into giving him her number, before continuing the interview without missing a beat.  This is it: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pU8JtongMTk

I loved the documentary made after by the Maysles' Brothers - Salesman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAE0zUSfEOk&t=1092s

[St_Eddie]

Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau, is my one of my favourite documentaries.  It covers Stanley's failed attempt at making his Dr. Moreau film (although he's now attempting to give it another go, apparently).  Of course another director stepped in and gave the world that clusterfuck 90's adaptation.  The documentary details a lot of Marlon Brando's eccentric behaviour at his peak Bizzaro-Brandoness.

[Dr Rock]

They should do a Sopranos v Godfather film. Can't remember who is still alive at the end of The Sopranos, and who would be the Godfather now though.

[bgmnts]

It's just Paulie and Patsy left isn't it?

[studpuppet]

Dueling Brandos is the best thing I ever heard SNL do.

[kidsick5000]

Mind the oranges Marlon !!!

Karma for the DR & Quinch reference.

[kidsick5000]

The Maysles' Meet Marlon Brando is a pretty fascinating document of him at his swaggiest.  There's one scene where's he's being interviewed by a French journalist, to whom he responds in perfect French, before wooing a gorgeous young black mother into giving him her number, before continuing the interview without missing a beat.  This is it: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pU8JtongMTk

My favourite part is https://youtu.be/pU8JtongMTk?t=20m50s
Marlon meets the 20-year-old former Miss USA. You can almost read his thoughts, a number of which appear to be wrestling with his conscience.

[Shit Good Nose]

One of those actors who could be as terrible as he could amazing.

Even though I think the film itself is a bit of something and nothing, I think one of his finest performances is in Last Tango In Paris.  Similarly The Ugly American.

Godfather goes without saying.  A Dry White Season is probably his best latter-day performance.

Major props for his roles where his character is a bit of an enigma/mythical - The Nightcomers (which is also one of Michael Winner's few decent films), Apocalypse Now, Superman, Burn etc.

Good fun roles - The Missouri Breaks and The Score (a film I've always liked and its continued critical drubbing bewilders me).

And a lot of embarrassing-to-watch-him dreck, even where the film itself is otherwise okay - Mutiny on the Bounty, Dr Moreau (natch), Columbus: The Discovery, The Formula, Viva Zapata etc.

[MortSahlFan]

I think his performance in "On The Waterfront" is among his best. "Streetcar" is pretty amazing considering it was 1951, and before him you had a lot of hamming, overly theatrical. Even the more silent guy didn't seem all that natural.

[Bazooka]

The Island of Dr Moreau is a guilty pleasure of mine, I just love species splicing.

[EOLAN]

I think his performance in "On The Waterfront" is among his best. "Streetcar" is pretty amazing considering it was 1951, and before him you had a lot of hamming, overly theatrical. Even the more silent guy didn't seem all that natural.

I must say when I first saw Streetcar - it was Vivien Leigh who I was blown away by. But maybe that was partly cos I want to be blown away by her...
But their contrast in style (as well as physique) just works so brilliantly and Leigh's more theatrical approach really complements her character who is trying to put on an act throughout while Brando is all more just natural animal instincts and urges.

[St_Eddie]

The Island of Dr Moreau is a guilty pleasure of mine, I just love species splicing.

I genuinely like the first half of the movie.  However, once Brando's Moreau is killed off, the movie becomes increasingly uninteresting, action-orientated and just plain stupid.  Not even the excellent David Thewlis or a scenery-chewing Val Kilmer can save it at that point.

[kidsick5000]

Mutiny On The Bounty is almost unwatchable. Visually, it's great. Brando looks amazing, of course but his accent of choice is utterly bizarre - like a less squawky Python pepperpot.

[Satchmo Distel]

His work in the 50s is the greatest by any screen actor. See him in Julius Caesar, for example. His acting in The Godfather is hard to judge because it's been so imitated. Agree on Last Tango In Paris, where he really goes deep into the character in a way that transcends the film.  You have to be willing to forgive the fact that he commits a real-life assault though, which may not be possible. If I can somehow skip that scene it's an immense performance overall. His role in Apocalypse Now doesn't really work for me but it's obviously powerful, maybe just too theatrical and pretentious. Might be worth checking out his lesser known roles such as in Roots.

Although he's the greatest ever actor, there's not much humour or joy there, compared to Cary Grant, say. Sometimes it's more fun when the studio actors are just playing versions of themselves.

[McChesney Duntz]

Although he's the greatest ever actor, there's not much humour or joy there, compared to Cary Grant, say. Sometimes it's more fun when the studio actors are just playing versions of themselves.

Oh, I don't know - there are definitely Brando performances where he seems to be having a blast, even if it's at the expense of the film itself - The Missouri Breaks, Moreau, and his gonzo turn in the film version of Candy (done as a favor to director Christian Marquand, who he was so close to he named one of his sons after him). And there are few explicitly self-parodic turns more joyous than in Andrew Bergman's The Freshman.

[Shit Good Nose]

Although he's the greatest ever actor, there's not much humour or joy there, compared to Cary Grant, say. Sometimes it's more fun when the studio actors are just playing versions of themselves.

Oh, I don't know - there are definitely Brando performances where he seems to be having a blast, even if it's at the expense of the film itself - The Missouri Breaks, Moreau, and his gonzo turn in the film version of Candy (done as a favor to director Christian Marquand, who he was so close to he named one of his sons after him). And there are few explicitly self-parodic turns more joyous than in Andrew Bergman's The Freshman.

And The Score, which I mentioned earlier.

[Shaky]

Perfect casting as Superman's dad. I think there are more scenes of him in the Donner Cut of Superman 2, which is highly recommended.

Even though it was a cash grab and he had all sorts of silly suggestions to fuck with the producers and director, it's actually a very dignified and surprisingly moving performance. "By that reckoning, I'll have been dead for many thousands of your years." Blub.

[Sin Agog]

I thought his little dance with Faye Dunaway at the end of Don Juan Demarco was fun, speaking of later roles where he's having a bit more of a laugh.  Reminded me of the end of Zorba the Greek.

As to his posh English accent, I love that he kept on going back to it in Burn! and later A Dry White Season, and it only ended up getting James Masonier every time.