Best Actor 1973: Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris

Marlon Brando received his seventh Oscar nomination for portraying Paul in Last Tango in Paris.

Last Tango in Paris is about an affair between a young Parisian and an older American who have a liaison with no names, and no conditions, for awhile at least.

Marlon Brando performance in this film certainly has a reputation that proceeds. I have heard from many sources touting this as not only Brando's best performance, but also one of if not the best performance ever. Well I must say that certainly does automatically effect your preconceptions but it should not define your conception of the performance, and it certainly does not define mine.

It is a common criticism of various accolades given to the most of something rather than the actual best, well I think that can actually be allotted to this performance by Marlon Brando, since if there is one thing for sure this is one acting performance. The whole character is constantly doing something that is extremely dramatic psychological, crazy, whatever, this character never seems to stop baring his soul, and is almost the polar opposite of Jack Nicholson's nominated character from this year.

Brando most normal scenes, I think, come early in the film where he shows the greif over his wife's recent suicide. Brando I think is extremely good in this portrayal of greif, becuase he shows clearly that this has deeply wounded Paul that has pained him right into the emotional core, and his this portrayal of greif does a fairly well establish the mental state of his character, and partially explain his course of action in the film.

Paul decides to start a liaison with a Parisian woman Jeanne (Maria Schneider), the relationship does not have much of a pick up scene though, since they really just begin the affair immediately with no strings attached, and not too much of an explanation either. They do, which means it is time for Brando to act, and act a lot, with deep soul searching not stop.

Now although I did see as fairly actory, I still feel he manages in the character of Paul somewhat, not just of Marlon Brando himself. My only real problem was though I think he does indeed portray an original character, I don't think he really completely understands who Paul is suppose to be precisely. Brando supposedly said he did not understand the point of the film, and I did feel some of that come through with his performance, in that I felt he had great scenes, but they did not fit into an amazing whole.

I never truly understood, although I do not think I was really suppose to, why he would react to his greif in this specific and rather odd way. Nor did I understand where this man came from, and why frankly his behavior was as erratic as it was, particularly when he became sadistic. Now part of his character is suppose to be a mystery really, but what I did see I felt was many parts of a character, but still missing something that melded the whole of him as one.

This not to say Brando does not have some exceedingly fascinating scenes, and moments. Whether it is his scene where he talks dirty, his scene where he tells about how he learned to love nature, the butter scene, his crazed antics on the dance floor, his big scene next to his wife's dead body, Brando certainly is interesting to watch, and does make a great amount of interesting moments. But I always felt they were just that interesting, not amazing.

The whole performance for me was most certainly a spectacle to watch, as Brando never stops doing something different in the role, but I must admit I did not feel it turned out to be a perfect performance, and I always far from the greatest performance of all time. In fact I did not even feel it was great, but rather just interesting. It is interesting to view, but not incredible to view, it just always feels as a performance that is less than the sum of its parts.

Best Actor 1973

And the Nominees Were:

Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris

Al Pacino in Serpico

Jack Lemmon in Save the Tiger

Jack Nicholson in The Last Detail

Robert Redford in The Sting

Best Actor 1951: Results

5. Fredric March in Death of a Salesman- March portrays Wily Loman as completely insane, this one performance I really do not what to make of, but I certainly can say that it is not good.

4. Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen- Bogart's performance is largely functional for me. He sometimes goes above functionality and sometimes goes below it.

3. Arthur Kennedy in Bright Victory- Kennedy gives a very good performance as a blinded soldier. He is particularly strong when coming to grips with his situation, the performance becomes less interesting as the film goes on, but overall it is a strong performance.

2. Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire- Marlon Brando's performance is most certianly a great performance doing wonders with in some ways a simple character. Brando gives virile, as well as brutal performance, that somehow always is a pleasure to watch.

1. Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun- This is one big upset I suppose, even an upset to myself I think. Both Clift and Brando are in top form, and each give unforgettable performances. Clift's performance has the even greater emotional pull for me, and it is the performance I believe I will remember most from this year. This is not a slight at all to Brando, their performances are both brilliant, I just loved Clift's performance even more.

Deserving Performances:
Alastair Sim in Scrooge
Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train

Best Actor 1951: Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire

Marlon Brando received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire.

A Streetcar named Desire is a brilliant film about a mentally troubled aging Southern Belle Blanche (Vivien Leigh) who goes to stay with her sister Stella (Kim Hunter), and her husband Stanley.

This here is a performance that is so hailed, and so examined, this review seems not to matter all that much. I mean Brando's style in this film is to have said to change acting, and this is said to be one of the greatest performances of all time. Well I guess what I should examine if it is the greatest, and look at a few criticism that I have happened to seen from a few small sources.

Well what are these criticisms, well that Stanley is too simplistic of a character for this to be that great of a performance. Well I do believe that Stanley probably is the simplest of Blanche, Stella, and Blanche's possible suitor Mitch (Karl Malden), but that does not at all mean that Stanley is an underwritten character. He is very much complex in his own way, but he is simple in his manner and actions. His manner and actions always are perfectly Stanley, though, and Stanley really is a perfectly written character even if he is a relatively simple man.

I think the somewhat simple nature of Stanley is what makes Brando's performance so fascinating, though, since so much of it is in his style. Anything that Stanley does Brando does indeed make interesting through just the completely original, yet natural way he does everything in the film. Whether it is one of his big angry outbursts or just changing a shirt, somehow Brando no matter what makes it interesting through his incredibly distinct method of performing.

Stanley I suppose could have been portrayed as just a brute, but Brando never does this, not that Stanley is not a brute much of the time. Brando excels in every facet of his portrayal, including obviously Stanley's brutality and cruelty. Brando shows how it is simply Stanley nature to never act completely like a human being, but rather will always jump to his cruel anger, as his defense when ever needed.

Brando brilliantly portrays that anger in such intensity that it is simply outstanding. When Blanche and Stella cower over his trashing the dinner table, there is not a shred of disbelief of their reaction to him. Brando just as well with the cruelty shows Stanley's virility. Brando conveys this perfectly with just his magnetic presence in the film. The desire that Stella has for him despite his brutality is never questioned because it is just about impossible to stop watching Brando, he is that good.

Now is there more to Stanley than just the desirable brute, well yes, and no. Brando has it both ways which is incredible, becuase although he shows a great deal of his character, he leaves the right amount to interpretation, showing that there is always more to a man even a man like Stanley. He does probably show this best in the famous "Stella!" scene, where Brando shows the vulnerability, and pathetic nature of the character that is just as much of a part of his dangerous exterior.

Well I think I addressed the criticisms of the performance well enough, well the criticism anyway. I tried to state why this is so great, but I frankly don't think I really needed to even do that, so I guess I will just wrap it up. There really is no question for me this is a great performance. The greatest, well there are a lot of great performances around, and everyone has their personal favorite, but it is easy to see why many would see this performance that way. Brando most certianly does the absolute most with his character, and turns him into one of the most compelling performance ever to watch.

Best Actor 1951

And the Nominees Were:

Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun

Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire

Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen

Arthur Kennedy in Bright Victory

Fredric March in Death of a Salesman

Best Actor 1952: Results

5. Jose Ferrer in Moulin Rouge- I was disappointed by Ferrer, since I though he really failed to really get inside of his character. I think had a good moment or two, but overall I think this was a missed opportunity.

4. Kirk Douglas in The Bad and the Beautiful- Kirk Douglas is good as the producer, who shows well his passion to get to the top as a filmmaker, I think though the colder edge of his character is not well earned by Douglas or the film. Also Douglas not given a conclusive scene for his performance, which leaves his performance from being complete.

3. Gary Cooper in High Noon- I am not really a fan of Cooper or the film High Noon, but he is effective as Marshal Will Kane. He really gives a memorable iconic, if simple turn, that works well as the moral center of the film.

2. Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata!- Brando's performance is as strong but quiet effective piece of acting that easily overcomes being miscast as a Mexico revolutionary. I really liked his performance because he played the part with realism and simplicity, and never tried to turn Zapata into a larger than life figure.

1. Alec Guinness in The Lavender Hill Mob- Guinness' performance is a well done piece of acting in terms of creating facade, but also showing a clever criminal underneath. But I really do not care about that because more importantly his performance is hilarious. He and Stanley Holloway have terrific comedic chemistry, his comedic timing his brilliant, and some spot on reactions could not be funnier.

Deserving Performances:
John Wayne in The Quiet Man

Best Actor 1952: Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata!

Marlon Brando received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Emiliano Zapata in Viva Zapata!

Viva Zapata! is a fairly effective fictionalized telling of the exploits of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata.

Marlon Brando portrays Zapata and something that must be addressed is his Mexican face. He has his darkened make up and his big mustache, that is noticeable, distracting at times especially when standing next to the real Mexicans like Anthony Quinn, but still it can be gotten over pretty easily since Brando still manages, despite this handicap, to give a strong performance.

I like Brando's performance because he really does not try to make Zapata a larger than life figure. He actually makes him a pretty simple man, who has strong morals, and a strong passion for his cause. Brando really keeps him a down to earth man, but shows a real honest desire to bring freedom, and land to his people he holds dear. Brando underplays Zapata always, and quite well, as he shows a certain anger deep within Zapata. An anger that has built slowly through his life through the mistreatment he has received from his unfair government. He always shows this deep anger he always clearly shows that he must contain to be a levelheaded leader.

He is equally effective as a quiet reserved leader. He has the proper passion and power into his performance, that really does not leave any question that he convince his men to follow him so easily. Brando's performance is effective in that he does manage to really show his strength as a leader without acting like a great leader, but rather a normal man who has just had this duty thrust upon him.

Zapata though does slowly change as a man due to becoming tired of the betrayals and the pains involved in the war in Mexico. He changes in two ways in that he slowly does become more disillusioned and begins to in turn become a more brutal leader. Brando earns this change well because he slowly shows the wears of his situation build up over time. His coldness he gains later in his treatment of his prisoners or his betrayers is made an honest coldness that has grown within Zapata due to what he has been through.

Another challenging change is made breifly when he is the leader of Mexico, and as he acts toward his neighbors just as the president did at the beginning acted towards him. This is a real challenge to make this sort of change believable but Brando handles it well because he showed the way time in battle built up on him. Of course Zapata quickly sees the errors of what he is doing, and does in fact handle this quick change just well showing what he did earlier was a result of almost his exhaustion of the wars he fought.

Overall Brando gives a strong performance. Brando never overplays his role, and never falls into any of the pitfalls one would expect he easily could have fallen into. A performance that gets over easily his technical miscasting because of his passion, subtlety and strength he brings to his role.  It is not Brando's greatest role by any means, nor his greatest performance, but it is certainly a strong piece of acting from the great actor.

Best Actor 1952

And the Nominees Were:

Kirk Douglas in The Bad and the Beautiful 

Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata!

Gary Cooper in High Noon

Jose Ferrer in Moulin Rouge

Alec Guinness in The Lavender Hill Mob

Best Actor 1954: Results

5. Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny- Bogart's role is in fact supporting, and much of his performance is more suitable than all that good. I would say he has some strong scenes, but overall he really is not given enough of a focus.

4. Dan O'Herlihy in Robinson Crusoe- O'Herlihy- is very good at his often one man show performance. He remains interesting even through the minimal tasks of survival, and shows the growth of the character very well.

3. Bing Crosby in The Country Girl- Crosby is incredibly strong in his performance as the beaten down has been actor. He shows a very powerful emotional strength, and creates an interesting portrait of a man broken down by his guilt, and his feeble attempts to not face up to the facts.

2. James Mason in A Star in Born- James Mason gives a very charming performance as Norman Maine, and he works perfectly along with Judy Garland. He makes Normain Maine a likable and memorable character, which makes his fall all the more heartbreaking.

1. Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront- Although I thought Mason was truly terrific, I never had a question who the best of this year was. Brando simply stands alone with his tremendous performance which is simply an extraordinary performance. A perfect performance that is completely honest, charming, and simply one of the most effective screen performances I have ever seen. (Good prediction Dinasztie)

Deserving Performances:
James Stewart in Rear Window
Ray Milland in Dial M for Murder
Toshiro Mifune in Seven Samurai

Best Actor 1954: Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront

Marlon Brandon won his first Oscar from his fourth Oscar nomination for portraying Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront.

On the Waterfront is a terrific masterpiece in my opinion. It certainly is Elia Kazan's best work, which tells a truly powerful story with a tremendous sense of place and atmosphere.

Marlon Brando's Terry Malloy is a completely vivid person to me, and always seems that way with every viewing of the film. Terry's humble beginning at the film of doing a simple job for the local crime boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), which is to tell a friend of his Joey Doyle to meet him on the roof of Joey's building. This actually leads to Doyle being confronted by Friendly's thugs, and ends up with the death of Doyle. Terry is greatly shaken up being this because he thought they only wanted to talk to Joey. This action causes Terry to go slowly down the rode of examining his own life, and his involvement with Johnny Friendly.

Terry's struggle with his conscience, and dealing with life around the docks of New York City is fascinating to watch for yes the script is brilliant, but perhaps Brando as Terry is even more so. He makes Terry such a believable man, and one that for me anyways causes a great deal of empathy. I really instantly felt for and with Terry through his story. Now Brando never seems to be forcing this, but it comes with his completely natural performance.

The naturalism of Brando's performance is rather fascinating, because in a lot of ways this is not a self contained performance, that is all simple. Brando has a lot of certain movements, and does certain things with his performance which with a lesser performance may have seemed mannered, or obvious acting, but there is none of this with Brando's performance. All of what Brando does in terms of his movements as Malloy are seem completely along with the washed up beaten down ex-boxer. Every physical motion, only further suggests the nature of Malloy, furthers the performance, and every part of performance still seems to never have a single scene of noticeable acting, Brando is simply that good here. 

Brando is wonderful in every moment of this film, and always keeps Malloy an interesting character despite Malloy being in ways a simple guy. Brando makes the most of every moment of screen time he has always adding layers to his character which are expertly handled by Brando. He makes Malloy, a person I feel I really knew after the film was over, because Brando performance as I said was completely vivid, and absolutely realistic.

Brando is excels in every different type of scene he is in. One being his romantic scenes with Eva Marie Saint as Edie Doyle. Their moments are terrific together. One could say Brando overshadows Saint with his performance, and perhaps he does, but it does not stop their romance to feel completely truthful, and wonderful to watch. Brando excels in these moments because he is interestingly incredibly charming, even though Terry Malloy is not exactly an extremely charming guy. This may sound quite odd, but Brando simply brings out charm in a not wholly charming character which is another achievement of this performance. Brando balances well Terry attempt at finding love, along with dealing with his own guilt over the death of Edie's brother Joey. Brando manages the balance with the utmost care, to make both the romance, and the guilt resonate even more effectively.

Brando though also shines incredibly in scenes of simply non-stop emotional power which first begin with he famous car scene. The scene in the car I think is one of the best scenes ever, in any film ever made. Everything in this one scene comes together so well, from the whole small set up in the small back seat of the car leaving only the emotions to see, the haunting music of Leonard Bernstein, and the great performances from Rod Steiger as Charley Terry's brother and Marlon Brando. The actors together create a truly incredible moment. Their moments here are simply unforgettable, they make this scene incredibly emotional and effective. Brando perfectly displays the inner harm of Terry's so well, and really the delivery of the famous line could not be more honest, more truthful, or more powerful than the way Brando displays it through Terry.

After the great scene I feel the film never stops in its strength and power and a whole lot should be credited to Brando. He displays Malloy nonstop changes through these scenes amazingly, and he never loses any of the power of the performance, from his want for revenge, combined with sadness, and need of love. Brando combines all of the emotions of Terry's struggle, and I feel he makes the audience feel them with him. I really was with Terry all the way especially in his final confrontation with Johnny Friendly. His passion, and his final stand up against corrupt is resonates fully, because of Brando's greatness in this perfect performance.

Best Actor 1954

And the Nominees Were:

Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny 

James Mason in A Star is Born

Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront

Bing Crosby in The Country Girl 

Dan O'Herlihy in Robinson Crusoe

So who will it be the broken down Ship Captain, the broken down screen actor, the broken down boxer, the broken down stage actor, or the guy who was on a broken down ship.