Books: Somebody - The Life Of Marlon Brando By Stefan Kanter

 

 (Drivebycuriosity) - Marlon Brando was the most important actor - and maybe also the best -  in the history of cinema so far. No one else had this peculiar mix of look, talent & attitude. He also was a challenged person who seemed to fight himself all the time. But his struggles sublimed his acting and made him an icon.

"To the end of his life, Marlon Brando insisted that he done nothing special. In his view acting was a trade like plumbing or banking. This was not false modesty, he believed what he said. But what he believed was untrue". This is from the introduction to "Somebody - The reckless life and remarkable career of Marlon Brandy" by Stefan Kanfer - the newest of a legion of Brandon biographies (amazon). The author distilles tons of literature into a fascinating lecture.

The strength of the book is the focus on Brando`s psychology. It´s not surprising that Brando`s problems started in his youth. His father was a cold, brutal & unforgiving man who didn`t believe in Marlon´s talents. His mother was an alcoholic who neglected her son an his sisters. Bad parenting which might have caused his rebellious attitude and his obsession with playing pranks which he showed his whole live. One psychologist claimed that Marlon "kept replicating his childhood defiance of authority, continually challenging his father in the person of officers, directors - anyone who tried to tell him what to do or how to behave". According to the psychologists Brando also displayed "many characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder leading to believe having some defect of personality which makes him unvalued and unwanted". Psychologist also wrote about Brando´s  "oral fixation" which led later to his enormous obesity.

But Brando also inherited some benefits from his parents: His acting genes. His mother had played on the stage,  loved acting and dreamed about a career on of Broadway. One of this sisters became also an actor, the other became a painter. Acting seemed the only way for him to prosper. Brando`s bad behavior seemed to help his early career when he played disturbed and rebellious characters in the 1940s & 1950s on the stage and then in Hollywood. Later - in the 1960s - his attitude seemed to have worked against him and his bad behavior disturbed many movie productions. The result was a long streak of flops, including "Mutiny on the Bounty", which almost ruined his reputation and drained his income. Many producers didn´t want to cast him any more. In the 1970s Brando had a glorious comeback and reached his peak. Again his attitude upvalued movies like the iconic and unforgettable "Godfather", "Apocalypse Now" & "Last Tango in Paris". But Marilyn Monroe said about Brando - and his competitor Montgomery Cliff - : "They don´t plan their careers too well. They are not ambitious enough for their careers".

Kanter describes step by step how Brando`s art developed and film by film how his accomplishments and problems influenced success or failure of the production. He also reports about Brando`s struggles with directors and other actors and his messy private life and troubles with wives, ex wives & neglected but spoiled children.

"Somebody" is an excellent analysis,  lively written, often amusing and highly recommened for all who love Brando, his films and the history of cinema.