There are lots ofMarlon Brandomovies worth shouting out, since he was one of the most legendary actors of his generation, and so much of his work still stands out.He helped elevate film actingandundeniably inspired many actorswho followed in his wake. Also, his rather long career – and a second wind in the 1970s – meant that many of the individuals he inspired became co-stars. He was in a few movies that flopped, and didn’t always deliver great performances, withThe Island of Dr. Moreaubeing perhaps the most notorious movie of his in this regard, but the legendary stuff more than outweighs the misfires.
On the topic of legendary Marlon Brando movies, the following are the very best of the best. There are a host of films not mentioned here that range from good to very good, but these ones feel like they endure the most.They’re also good starting points for anyone who wants to understand the hype, for lack of a better word, around Brando, as he played key roles in all of them, and each one still stands as a great movie in its own right (in the sense that they’re also great in other ways; it’s not just Marlon Brando stealing the spotlight every time).
5’A Streetcar Named Desire' (1951)
Appeared as Stanley Kowalski
Fewfilms feel like they summarize the “drama” genreas effectively asA Streetcar Named Desire, which was originally a play written byTennessee Williams. Whether it’s on stage or the screen, it’s a story that allows actors to go big and, if they want, maybe even over-the-top in ways that can still kind of work. It’s all about the strange dynamic between three troubled people: a woman, her sister, and thesister’s aggressive and self-destructive husband, Stanley Kowalski, played by Brando in this 1951 film adaptation.
Itearned Brando his first Oscar nomination, and it was far from his last. He gets to play someone who’s essentially a force of nature here, and it’s impressive how a performance from such an old movie is still genuinely terrifying while feeling so raw. Though, to be fair, the other main cast members here are also instrumental inA Streetcar Named Desirehaving the impact it does, with three of them earning Oscar wins:Vivien Leighfor Best Actress,Kim Hunterfor Best Supporting Actress, andKarl Maldenfor Best Supporting Actor. As mentioned before, this screen/stage-play offers a lot for actors to do; acting with a capital “A” kinda thing.
A Streetcar Named Desire
4’Superman' (1978)
Appeared as Jor-El
Okay, of all the great Marlon Brando movies that still hold up rather perfectly,Supermanis the one that gives him the least to do as an actor. He’s there mostly for the opening sequence, bringing a certain amount of gravitas to what was, at that point,probably the greatest superhero movie. He plays Jor-El, the father of Kal-El, who later becomes Superman/Clark Kent after he’s sent to Earth as an infant. And it’s the opening sequence, on the soon-to-be-destroyed planet Krypton, that sets in motion the origin storySuperman(1978) inevitably tells.
There’s also a hologram of Jor-El that appears later in the film, meaning Brando technically gets a little more to do after the opening, but it’s not enough to warrant him getting top billing, which is rather ridiculous,consideringChristopher Reeveis the title characterand gets a great deal more screen time. Also,Gene Hackmanis billed above Reeve, presumably because he and Brando were the biggest stars in the movie, andSupermanwanted to give the (justifiable) impressionthat it was a true blockbuster. And it was.It’s rather quaint by today’s standards, but it’s also charming in its simplicity and idealism. It’s a movie that’s unashamedly about heroics, and though it’s far from the only movie aboutSuperman, it’s still arguably the very best.
3’Apocalypse Now' (1979)
Appeared as Colonel Walter Kurtz
There was some more wild billing (no, not thatWild Bill) going on withApocalypse Now, oddly comparable toSuperman, released the year before. In this film, Marlon Brando has a supporting role and only really appears at the end (in contrast to only appearing near the beginning), but gets top billing for playing Colonel Kurtz. And thenRobert Duvall– who is admittedly a scene-stealer, but only has a few scenes – gets billed second, while poor oldMartin Sheen, who unambiguously plays the central character, Captain Willard, gets billed third.
Granted, Colonel Kurtz is an important character, and he’s one whose presence is felt before he’s seen, given what the audience learns about him, and because the film is largely an odyssey through increasingly unsettling environments to try and find him.It’s a fantastic and haunting war movie, andfeatures some incredible performances throughout, all the whileFrancis Ford Coppola, as the director, still might emerge as the film’s ultimate “star.”Apocalypse Nowis an unconventional and singular epic, and it still feels like itcaptures the inherent madness of warbetter than just about any other war film ever made.
Apocalypse Now
2’On the Waterfront' (1954)
Appeared as Terry Malloy
On the Waterfrontis one ofthe greatest movies ever made, and that can be said pretty damn confidently. It’s a difficult film to fault, and it also established Marlon Brando as even more of a star, especially as a leading man. He’s a dockworker named Terry Malloy, and the film’s story begins with him inadvertently playing a role in a close friend’s death. He wakes up to the corruption around him, with alabor union ultimately run by a mob bosscontrolling so much of his life and surroundings, and so the movie then becomes an escalating conflict where he stands up to said corruption and deals with further tragedies.
It’s fairly heavy-going stuff, and surprisingly brutal for a movie made in 1954. It’s also interesting to contrast it withA Streetcar Named Desire, especially considering both were directed byElia Kazanand starred Brando. That 1951 film had realistic acting but did feel, understandably, more like a filmed stage play, whileOn the Waterfronthas similarly grounded acting and more of a lived-in/authentic feel, owing to so much of it being shot on location. It’sraw, gripping, and emotional to this day, and Brando is one of the main reasons it still holds so much power all these decades later.
On The Waterfront
1’The Godfather' (1972)
Appeared as Vito Corleone
SinceThe Godfatheris sometimes considered to be one of the greatest movies of all time (if not the greatest), it’s undeniably the most iconic Marlon Brando ever starred in, too. It’s an arguably better film than evenApocalypse Now, directed later inthe 1970s by Francis Ford Coppola, but what’s not arguable is that it gives Brando more to do than that film. He is, for the most part, the central character here, even if it’s Al Pacino’s character who ultimately becomes the most important character by the film’s end; the one whose tragic story is explored more fully in the next twoGodfatherfilms.
It’s hard to look past Marlon Brando here. He gives a perfect performance in a pretty much perfect gangster movie.
But 1972’sThe Godfather, for a large chunk of its runtime, belongs to Brando,who brings so much to the role of Vito Corleone, perhaps giving the definitive gangster movie performance of all time. He’s easy to parody, sure, but he just carries so much dramatic weight in every second he’s on-screen. It’s also a testament to how great the other actors are here that they also leave an impression, including Pacino, Robert Duvall, andJames Caan, but yeah… Brando. It’s hard to look past him here. It’s a perfect performance ina pretty much perfect gangster movie, and what else can really be said about it at this point?
The Godfather
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