“Marlon brought all of that kind of raw, surprising, dynamic humanity to everything that he did“, says Sean Penn in this new film about one of the most important artists of the 20th Century. This long awaited and detailed portrait of Marlon Brando runs nearly three hours, combining performances and archival material (for example, together with his patronizing father, who was an alcoholic, in a TV talk show) without any outside commentary – we are presented only with comments by his colleagues, life-long friends and family-members. It is not the legend that is in focus, but his art and personality and the impact he had for his and younger generations of actors: “When people struggle to be real they’re dishwater, when people struggle to protect themselves from their own reality they’re Marlon Brando.” (Sean Penn).
Brando was the exception and an outsider not only as an actor. This portrayal shows how he cleverly used his popularity to fight racism and give the Civil Rights Movement (Black Panther Party, Native Americans) a public voice. (Among others with Elia Kazan, Tennessee Williams, Karl Malden, Al Pacino, Arthur Penn, Martin Scorsese, Bernardo Bertolucci, Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Fonda and Johnny Depp).
Nominated for an Emmy in the category of Nonfiction Special.
After 80 minutes break, Turner Classic Movies invites you for a drink.
The broadcast will be presented on Turner Classic Movies in digital television on November 4th at 5:35 p.m.