Listen to Me Marlon

source: Listen to Me Marlon

Listen to Me Marlon is a very special documentary. It consists of hours of recordings by Marlon Brando covering a vast range of topics and narrating his whole life experiences through his own words. It covers all of the glory, success and failures of one of the biggest cinematic legends ever in his own specific and unique way.

In APOCALYPSE NOW, having survived an episodic Odyssey through the Heart of Darkness itself, Martin Sheen, as Captain Willard, finds himself, at long last, face to face with the man he's been sent to kill- the "renegade," Colonel Kurtz. His head shaven, as comfortable in the shadows as a leper, Kurtz speaks frankly to Willard about his mission in a compelling voice that rarely rises above a low conversational whisper. It's THAT voice that grabs Willard, and it's THAT voice that we hear again and again in LISTEN TO ME MARLON- and it's THAT voice that lends this documentary an almost Apocalyptic feel. Brando speaks frankly throughout, and it's always compelling. The eerie three-dimensional digital image of Brando lends the proceedings an even EERIER tone. "There is something sinister about film," writes Norman Mailer in THE SPOOKY ART. Of Brando, he says: "He seemed to have a charged subtext... the subtext- the emotion of the words he was using behind the words... that was what gave an unruly, all but uncontrolled, and smoldering air of menace to all that he did." As fascinating a document as they come, LISTEN TO ME MARLON is must-see.

Marlon Brando was never the kind of person who courted much in the way of publicity or granting interviews. He was well known for being fiercely protective of his own privacy and seldom allowed anyone into his own inner sanctum in any way. As an actor, Brando refused to pursue the long held Hollywood tradition of being marketed as another matinée idol and to cash in on his good looks. He was determined to channel his acting training into a wide variety of roles in film. To a large extent, Brando succeeded. In other ways, his choice of films left a bit to be desired and his career suffered as a result. All of this and much more is covered in this Award winning feature length documentary. The man as well as the actor is covered, we get the best of both worlds. The makers of the documentary had access to volumes of written notes and authentic recordings of Marlon Brando himself. Such recordings are nothing short of being a revelation as the man wasn't known for being particularly forthcoming or intimate in talking about himself. Thanks to "Listen to Me Marlon," these recordings of him offer an insight that had only previously been hinted at. After watching this documentary, Brando comes across as someone who had his own Demons to contend with (as most of us do) and a lot of this is down to his rather troubled and disrupted childhood. His relationship with his father was often strained and they had little to do with each other later on. I was fascinated with the section of Brando's time in New York when people like Elia Kazan and Stella Adler changed his life forever. You really feel as though you gain a real and unflinching impression of what made Brando tick as a person as well as an actor. Most of Brando's films are mentioned and detailed. This is the only documentary you will need on Marlon Brando.

Marlon Brando who died in 2004 left behind hundreds of hours of audio recordings on tape where he discusses various aspects of his life, the highs, the lows and his acting career. Some of it is incoherent as he rambles and mumbles in a bewildering manner. The film is topped and tailed by a digitised head of Brando created for some unspecified movie. Brando revolutionised screen acting by popularising techniques he learned from Stella Adler, the Method which wowed the stage and he then brought it on screen. You can hear him tell us how exhilarating it felt was to finish a performance of A Streetcar Named Desire, getting on a motorbike, riding around New York in the early hours, then heading to a club in Harlem and party the rest of the night. We see interview footage, documentary clips and clips from films like On the Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Godfather, Mutiny of the Bounty, The Formula, Apocalypse Now, Last Tango in Paris. It is insightful to see him playing Don Corleone and hear the man how he prepared for the role, his motivation. In a sense an acting masterclass when he tells how easy it is to slap Johnny Fontaine on the screen but to stay still, silent when he hears the news that his son Sonny is killed, that was difficult. Brando was also a political activist, he had strong views of race, the shoddy treatment of native Indians. Less interesting to me was his haphazard and in some sense tragic personal life, especially as his son was accused of murder. This is not a complete picture though. As an actor Brando started the 1950s as a trailblazer but also acquired a reputation of being difficult and lazy. The 1960s were dogged by movies that were critical and commercial failures until he won his second Oscar for The Godfather. Then apart from Last Tango, he made cameos vast amounts of money such as Superman and The Formula. By which time he was obese, not bothering to learn his lines but get fed them via an earpiece. I wanted to know more about this, we get little. It is left to Francis Coppola in his own documentary footage to tell us about the frustrations of working with Brando for Apocalypse Now. His final acting years where he would make fitful appearances are glossed over. I would like to have heard him talk about his significant role in A Dry White Season, a film he worked for almost no pay and for which he got his final Oscar nomination. I was never too enthused by this film. I still felt I got to know very little about Brando but it was nice to hear from him even though some of what he said was less than compelling.

Well made character study of Marlon in his own words. It moves through about 6 or 8 different 'chapters', wherein various quotes by him are edited together rather seamlessly, to create a particular 'emotion' of his. Brando fans are going to love this. This is not a biography documentary, although it does follow his career arc to tell the stories. Basically, it's a window into his thought processes involving various 'situations' in his life. What I really liked about it was it's focus on his childhood, morphing into his career, his wives, and mostly, his children. The most powerful theme, for me? No matter how hard or far he ran from his parents and childhood? He couldn't prevent it's effects from touching his children. Added bonus? This film is probably as expansive as we'll ever get on his thoughts concerning his craft, and how he approached it.

We've been extremely lucky over recent years with a plethora of fantastic and visionary documentaries on a range of different subject matters. From Man on Wire, The Act of Killing through to last year's Virunga and Amy, documentary craftsmanship has really gone from strength to strength as filmmakers look at ways to tell stories and shine a light on their subjects in all new ways and Stevan Riley's Listen to Me Marlon is quite possibly the first documentary of its kind. An unquestionably fascinating look into not only the life but the very mind of legendary screen actor Marlon Brando, Riley and his crew had the rare opportunity to unearth boxes upon boxes of recordings that Brando himself had made through his entire career. These tapes range from confessionals through to self-hypnosis works but no matter what they're labelled as there all an insight into the inner workings of a man that dealt from a very young age with inner demons and wants that Hollywood could not heal. For any fan of Brando or really any fan of movie history, Listen to Me Marlon offers a once in a lifetime like chance to hear the game changing method actor speak openly about his life as a kid, as a budding star, as a reclusive island wanderer and later in life a man that held many regrets and unfortunately found himself apart of a number of tragedies that clearly affected his life unmeasurably. Some of the most fascinating and open revelations we hear from Brando include his thoughts on acting as merely a means to be able to live his life and his deep love for the island of Tahiti and how he saw that as a place that showcased the best of humanity. Listen to Me Marlon is a fabulously constructed documentary and while it would've been nice in a way to hear from others involved in Brando's life what better way to hear about his story is there than hearing from the man himself? An historic figure of depth and emotional nuances, Listen to Me Marlon is a must watch for any fan of cinema and easily one 2015's best documentary features. 4 scanned talking heads out of 5

Greetings again from the darkness. Was he greatest actor of all-time? Or was he a lazy actor only in it for the payday? Was he a defender of Civil Rights and Native American rights? Or was he as disturbed as his Colonel Kurtz? This film from director Stevan Riley addresses all of these questions and more, but what makes it fascinating to watch, is that the only talking head here is that of its subject … Marlon Brando. Utilizing a treasure trove of Brando's private audio recordings, and blending those words with some rare photographs and clips, Mr. Riley delivers one of the most unusual posthumous autobiographical documentaries ever released. Bookended by a tragic shooting at Brando's Mulholland Drive house, the film explores his Omaha childhood with a mother who taught him about nature and music, and a father who was abusive and not a loving man. Both parents were alcoholics, and seemed to set Marlon up for a lifetime of family issues. Brando's movie career can be divided into two different chapters. He burst onto the scene in 1951's A Streetcar Named Desire, and maintained the rebellious sex-symbol status through The Wild One (1953) and On The Waterfront (1954) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). Ten years later, a career resurgence brought The Godfather (1972), Last Tango in Paris (1972), Superman (1978), and Apocalypse Now (1978). This second phase solidified his reputation as difficult to work with and as a man with questionable mental stability. Listening to Brando's self-analysis during these eras provides insight into the enigma … we learn some of what was going on with the troubled genius. Some of the film's best segments: learning about his acting (and life) mentor Stella Adler, hearing Brando discuss his "I coulda been a contender" speech and why the masses so closely related, an explanation of his love/fascination with Tahiti (started in Military School and continued while filming Mutiny on the Bounty), and especially a glimpse into his pain-gone-public during the ordeals with his divorce, and his son and daughter (Christian and Cheyenne). These audio tapes are more intimate and revealing than diaries would be, as we hear Brando's unbridled emotions in his voice. He was internationally famous for playing roles, but perhaps no role was harder for him than that of being Marlon Brando. A reclusive man who values his privacy does not easily transition to 40 foot silver screen, and his own words let us in on just how difficult this was for him.

Marlon Brando, more than just an actor. In Listen To Me Marlon, many of Brando's personal recordings are explored. The documentary delves deep inside the recordings throughout the duration of the documentary. We are given private information regarding Brando's personal life on and off the screen. Many of Brando's earliest interviews are shown as well, with Brando giving us his own perspective on his performances in his films. His love for Tahiti is explored as well, and we are given an in depth explanation as to why he refused to respect the 1973 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The entire documentary, in Brando's own words. Very worth a watch. Overall: 10/10

A fascinating look into the life of Marlon Brando, made all the more compelling and unique through its use of Brando's own private audio and rare video recordings. If you're put off early on because it seems to be jumping around and/or it's hard to hear, stick with it. Aside from seeing many examples of Brando's absolutely brilliant acting, we see a complete view of his life, with all of its triumphs and difficulties. Brando had problems with relationships, children, poor part selections, and was often a pain in the behind to his directors. That may also put people off, but I have to say, this documentary also shows just how laser sharp the man was. The same blistering honesty he brought to his acting roles, he also brought to life. He saw that acting was a means to an end – that time was the true currency of man – and after he had 'made it', he made sure to enjoy his life. He was a pillar of moral rectitude during the Civil Rights movement, standing up for African-Americans and later also for Native Americans. He saw through the phoniness and profiteering in the world, and sought to live his life simply in Tahiti and elsewhere. He had a difficult childhood and relationship with his father, and yet reached a point of forgiveness, understanding that his dad was a product of his own upbringing, and so on, and so on. Despite the maelstrom of chaos and occasional controversy in his life, what emerges is the coherence of Brando's honesty and his moral code. He humiliated himself by taking parts that were ridiculous and which he later regretted, but if you put that into the context of his life and his priorities, you'll empathize with him, and will be far less prone to laughing at him. I was aware of all the elements of his story, but this documentary really brought it all together for me, and left me admiring the man even more. He was a true hero, a brilliant actor with a social conscience and an intellect that should is under-appreciated. In terms of the documentary, there are some elements that are less effective. The scenes showing his crude digitized likeness. The audio when it's hard to understand, and which would have been helped with subtitles (turning on close caption helps, even if you're not hearing impaired). The less than even storytelling, though it's always the case that a biographer must choose what to leave in, and what to leave out. With all of that said, director Stevan Riley delivers, and there will be things in this documentary for everyone, regardless of how much you come in knowing about Brando. Strong film.