1961
Directed by Marlon Brando
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Before I started this journey, I either pictured Marlon Brando with cotton balls in his cheeks or wearing a white t-shirt and yelling Stella. It came as a great shock for me then to see him singing and dancing in Guys and Dolls. Now, with this film, I had to once again shift gears and picture Marlon Brando, the director. Adjusting mental image….Okay we are good.
This is a pretty classic revenge tale. We have Rio, who goes to jail for robbing banks (which is a perfectly legitimate reason). However, he is pissed that his friend betrayed and didn't go too. While Marlon Brando is on the path of revenge, he manages to make time to pull a Woody Allen. Gross.
Let's get with what I liked first. The opening scene is one of the most badass moments in the history of cinema. I myself have never eaten fruit with that much charisma. Additionally, because it is Brando, the acting is amazing. As for his directing, while the shots weren't John Ford fantastic, they were quite beautiful.
However, I found that the plot tended to lag a bit, particularly in the middle. Of course, this may be because I am not a huge western fan, but I think they could have afforded to cut out a few scenes.
Unfortunately, this review is short and sweet because I have dinner reservations. Good, not great.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Brando shot six times the amount of footage than is usually filmed.
Original cut was five hours long.
