The Relative Coolness of Marlon Brando

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Brando’s mother and grandmother were both very forward-thinking and contained their own essence of rebellion. The two of them wore trousers often, his grandmother was divorced and remarried (against the norm for the late 19th century) and his mother was an actress. This foundation no doubt is in part for Brando’s love of activism. He was in all ways a bleeding heart, supporting many causes of refugees and equality. This almost presents as a form of itutu in his cool faced passion for helping others (Pountain, 2000). Acting was no more than a trade, something he was passionate about for sure, but it was still just the thing he had to do. However this came second to what he viewed as actually making a difference (“Brando”). He became a passionate Zionist after staring A Flag Is Born on stage. Brando was a huge supporter of the civil rights movement, even getting himself blacklisted for three years after being seen at a Black Panther Rally. His image of rebellion fit perfectly with the attempts to throw off social and cultural tradition and taboos (“Brando”).

In 1962, Brando starred in Mutiny on the Bounty, a film that he pushed vastly out of budget and schedule as he bullied and argued his way into the director’s chair. This bolstered his reputation as a difficult star, many directors and actors refused or dreaded to work with him. His experience with Tahiti and its people through this film deeply moved Brando as he married is love interest of the movie and bought an island. This would be his third wife whom he lived with in solitude for many years. They had multiple children (though Brando is credited with having at least sixteen children). Brando was big on self-indulgence, and even built a small village on the personal island.

Brando was a front runner in the twentieth century movement of cool. He embodied the four pillars of cool: narcissism, hedonism, irony, and rebellion. The man was a womanizer, having flings left and right. Not only did these acts bolster his image, but they also satisfied his known sexual appetite. He was even credited with referring to himself as “sexually ambiguous,” which was, in simple words, not okay for that time period. Rumors swim that he took stars to bed such as James Dean. The man’s since of irony never stopped, either. He was a non-religious, socially active, farm-boy-turned-actor, who, despite numerous awards and acclaim, did not hold acting in high regards. All of these traits transferred to his acting, but none more than rebellion. I think his line in The Wild One rang as true to Brando as it did to his character. When asked what he was rebelling against, he said “Whaddya got?”

Citations

"BIOGRAPHY: Marlon Brando Lifetime." BIOGRAPHY: Marlon Brando Lifetime. Lifetime. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.

Pountain, Dick, and David Robins. Cool Rules: Anatomy of an Attitude. London: Reaktion, 2000. Print.

Sheridan, Peter. "Marlon Brando: A Tormented and Misunderstood Star." Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

Bosworth, Patricia, Marlon Brando (A Penguin Life). Viking: New York, New York (2001)

“Brando.” Los Angeles Magazine, Vol. 49, No. 9, September 2004. ISSN 1522-9149.