As far as screen legends go, Marlon Brando sits at the top of the heap. To many, he’s considered legitimately the greatest actor of all time, with his performances in A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, The Wild One and more than a few others transforming the craft of screen acting in the fifties. In the sixties, which were a lean time for Brando, many thought he had drowned in his eccentricities, only for him to re-emerge in The Godfather, delivering one of the most acclaimed and iconic performances of all time as Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s classic. He also daringly went deep into his psyche for a tortured performance in Last Tango in Paris, which remains one of his most acclaimed and controversial parts, before again delivering a classic portrayal for Coppola in Apocalypse Now. And oh yeah, he also found time to play Superman’s father, Jor-El, in Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie.
In this episode of We Remember, we dig into the great actor’s life and legacy. It wasn’t always an easy road for Brando, whose life was marked by tragedy and eccentricity, but he’s also a figure that will never be forgotten and should be celebrated.
This episode of We Remember is written by Mathew Plale, edited by Juan Jimenez and narrated by Travis Hopson.
If you’d like to explore Marlon Brando’s filmography a little more, here are some essential titles:
What are your favorite Marlon Brando movies? Let us know in the comments!