MovieChat Forums > The Wild One Discussion > Maybe one of Brando's best

Maybe one of Brando's best

posted 19 years ago by Loukey
19 replies | jump to latest

....and definately his coolest performance. As the rough leader of the Black Rebels he gives a great performance that set a trend all over the world and changed a way of living. That's something... Maybe not only in a positive because he's supposed to be a thug in this movie, not a good guy. However his way of living changed after he met this girl called Cathy apparently, because he shows he has feelings in the final scene. And that's such a great scene!
Anyone agree/disagree?

[–] ChristopherPMurray 19 years ago

Totally disagree. I think Brando's performance/the character of Johnny is an example of how something can be revolutionary but then have no shelf-life. This is probably Brando's most iconic role (more due to the photographs of him leaning on the motorcycle with the leather jacket and the hat than his acting), but all of his dialogue is cornball, Hollywoodized jive-talk, and it looks like he's uncomfortable delivering a lot of it. It seems liks it was written with a stuffy, middle-aged tin ear that is doing its best to replicate how scruffy punks talked at the time. His acting is great when he doesn't have to say anything, and he plays the ambiguity of his feelings for Cathy amazingly well. I think Lee Marvin's performance is the best in the film simply because it's the least dated.

Better Brando:

1. A Streetcar Named Desire (his best)
2. On The Waterfront
3. The Godfather
4. Last Tango in Paris
5. The Men

[–] josephb-9 19 years ago

You forgot to mention "Apocolypse Now"

Even though he plays a very small role at the end the mental anguish he portrays is phenominal

[–] triumph-tsx 18 years ago

'...all of his dialogue is cornball, Hollywoodized jive-talk, and it looks like he's uncomfortable delivering a lot of it. It seems liks it was written with a stuffy, middle-aged tin ear that is doing its best to replicate how scruffy punks talked at the time. '

Brando took a graet deal of trouble together with Benedek and Kramer to meet and talk with real 'outlaw' motorcyclists to study their speech mannerisms incorporating the speech and indeed the cyclists (see Lee Marvin's 'Beetles' gang) into the picture

[–] Tremayne3 19 years ago

I absolutely agree. I'm crazy about "The Wild One", the movie and the music.

[–] goony86 18 years ago

'The Wild One' is not a good film and Brando's performance is not anything to write home about. which is unusual - im not a big fan of streetcar but i tohught brando was excellent in it.... The Godfather and On the Waterfront were brandos best performances and goddammit they're two of the best films to ever be made

[–] csu16387 17 years ago

The Wild One is a landmark film, and Brando's role is an iconic one. I like the film, but I don't love it. It's terribly dated, and doesn't quite have the sting that frightened the adults. Lee Marvin's performance is as good as Brando (perhaps even better).

Though I wouldn't place The Wild One among the very best of Marlon Brando, I'd still consider it an essential for those interested in seeing his work.

"Watch me run a 50-yard dash with my legs cut off!"

[–] showmanjkb 17 years ago

I wonder if the OP has seen Streetcar or OTF. Both were far superior to this one.

I also think Lee Marvin's performance was better than Brando's in this film. I am a huge Marlon Brando fan, too.

[–] adrian696969 17 years ago

I really enjoyed the wild one. I knew i was watching a "dated" movie and it was everything i expected and more. I dont know if it is one of Brandos best but its up there for me on Motorcycle movies.

[–] billyed 17 years ago

The only 'wild one' in this film was Lee Marvin! Brando looked like a Highway Patrolman!

"If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything!"....

[–] adrian696969 17 years ago

Lee marvin rules.

[–] RoddmannW 17 years ago

I absolutely love Brando, but there is no denying that Lee Marvin is the true star of this film. TBH, I would rate this as one of the more ordinary performances I have seen of his, certainly inferior to On the Waterfront, Godfather, Streetcar, Mutiny on the Bounty, Viva Zapata... even films like Guys + Dolls and Don Juan DeMarco are more interesting in terms of Brando's performance.

Terrorism is the war of the poor, war the terrorism of the rich - Peter Ustinov

[–] newblood97 15 years ago

what happened to Last Tango in Paris thats probably his best and THE best performance in a film ive ever seen.

[–] Winter_Wonder 15 years ago

I still liked this film. It was not awful, but not extraordinary either. It was just good. Brando looked very hot though, and that helped me like the movie even more. I thought Cathy was amazingly beautiful, and she did a great job as well.

[–] erikriveros 12 years ago

op, you're out of your mind...as someone else posted 'on the waterfront' and streetcar blows the doors of this movie

agreed that lee marvin was excellent.

it is better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it

[–] joe_538 11 years ago

Agree. It's all right, but not a spectacular piece of work like it's reputation might suggest. There are some biker movies from the sixties that seem better handled. Mary Murphy and Lee Marvin did make an impression, though.

[–] chas437 11 years ago

This is an example of a film that worked really well in its day, but has become hopelessly dated, to the point where its laughable.

I'm a civilian, I'm not a trout

[–] lizcarlo87 12 years ago

You should watch

Streetcar Named Desire
The Men
Bedtime Story
On the Waterfront
Last Tango in Paris
Julius Caesar
Reflections of a Golden Eye

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] heyuactor 11 years ago

I agree this is 'one of Brando's best' and that the last scene is great. He seems sort of redeemed from his cynical/not caring/rebellious/anti-Establishment mind-set, and will be less unfeeling in the future. Tough guy sees society is not so impossible to be a part of. Brando captured the troubled rebel like no other.

"Did you make coffee...? Make it!"--Cheyenne.