Viva Zapata! (1952) :
Brief Review -
Marlon Brando goes unrecognisable to be recognised as a great actor in Elia Kazan's hard-hitting tale of a Mexican revolutionary. Marlon Brando was two films old and had emerged as a sensation with "The Men" (1950) and "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951). I personally found both films quite okayish, but Brando was overwhelming. Now back to his third film, Viva Zapata! The very first scene, and I didn't recognise Brando at all. His voice tone, accent, dialogue delivery, and facial expressions reminded me of what Manoj Kumar used to do in his movies (after Brando, of course). I had a small nap for a minute or two in the middle of the film, but what a big turnaround it took in the second half. I was glued to the story, and above that, they kept hitting me hard with powerful quotes. "Strong men don't need a strong leader." "If something happens to you, what will they have?" "They will have themselves". "You can kill the man, but the idea-how can you kill the idea". "I have been fighting for a long time. I don't understand peace." "That's how things really change-slowly-through people," "Sometimes a dead man can be a terrible enemy," and that one monologue Brando gives to his people about fighting, living, and never giving up-I went back to John Ford's "The Grapes Of Wrath" ending dialogue zone. Viva Zapata is extra curved towards one community and one kind of thinking, but we can't help since it's a part of history. Maybe the Mexican people can tell better than me (an Indian). But still, what a powerful film about human courage and the fight to live! A perfect rehearsal for Brando and Kazan before the classic "On The Waterfront" (1954). Brando is phenomenal, and Anthony Quinn was marvellous. Had said before and will repeat again: Kazan was the most important and revolutionary filmmaker of his time. What he did, others just couldn't dare it.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Marlon Brando goes unrecognisable to be recognised as a great actor in Elia Kazan's hard-hitting tale of a Mexican revolutionary. Marlon Brando was two films old and had emerged as a sensation with "The Men" (1950) and "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951). I personally found both films quite okayish, but Brando was overwhelming. Now back to his third film, Viva Zapata! The very first scene, and I didn't recognise Brando at all. His voice tone, accent, dialogue delivery, and facial expressions reminded me of what Manoj Kumar used to do in his movies (after Brando, of course). I had a small nap for a minute or two in the middle of the film, but what a big turnaround it took in the second half. I was glued to the story, and above that, they kept hitting me hard with powerful quotes. "Strong men don't need a strong leader." "If something happens to you, what will they have?" "They will have themselves". "You can kill the man, but the idea-how can you kill the idea". "I have been fighting for a long time. I don't understand peace." "That's how things really change-slowly-through people," "Sometimes a dead man can be a terrible enemy," and that one monologue Brando gives to his people about fighting, living, and never giving up-I went back to John Ford's "The Grapes Of Wrath" ending dialogue zone. Viva Zapata is extra curved towards one community and one kind of thinking, but we can't help since it's a part of history. Maybe the Mexican people can tell better than me (an Indian). But still, what a powerful film about human courage and the fight to live! A perfect rehearsal for Brando and Kazan before the classic "On The Waterfront" (1954). Brando is phenomenal, and Anthony Quinn was marvellous. Had said before and will repeat again: Kazan was the most important and revolutionary filmmaker of his time. What he did, others just couldn't dare it.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.