Marlon Brandowas without a doubt one of the greatest actors of all time, even being dubbed thegreatest actor of the 20th centurybyTimemagazine in 1998. He arrived on the movie scene in the early 1950s and changed it forever, revolutionizing what performers could do on-screen. In offering an intensity and commitment to his roles that hadn’t really been seen before then, his influence can be felt in many of the greatest actors of following generations, including the likes ofJack Nicholson,Robert De Niro, andAl Pacino.
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Interestingly, those last two were also featured inThe Godfatherseries, which gave Brando perhaps his most iconic and well-known rule: that of Vito Corleone, the head of the Corleone crime family in the firstGodfather. But outside this beloved and (and often parodied) role, Brando lent his talents to dozens of other films, many of them also good or even great. It’s impossible to capture them all, but the following nine films are among the best, and all further showcase how there was so much more to Brando than just Vito Corleone.
‘The Men’ (1950)
The Menmade for an impressive debut feature film for Marlon Brando. Right out of the gate, he was a force to be reckoned with, and also managed to score a lead role in his first film. In it, he plays an injured soldier who loses the ability to use both of his legs, and the film follows his attempts to readjust to life after suffering such a serious injury.
It definitely feels like a film of its time. The melodramatic tone and staginess of much of it may not make it the easiest watch for modern audiences, but you can’t deny Brando’s great in the lead role. Even at just 26 years old, he’d mastered the art of displaying intense, heightened emotions on-screen.
‘Guys and Dolls’ (1955)
A light, charming musical comedy (albeit one with a lengthy 2.5-hour runtime),Guys and Dollsgave Brando his best-known musical role. Essentially, he andFrank Sinatraplay slick, hustler/gambling types who compete with each other in all areas of their lives, including when it comes to romance.
Marlon Brando might not be a great singer (especially compared to Sinatra), but it doesn’t matter, because he’s so magnetic on-screen. He acts so well you might find yourself forgetting about the lack of singing ability, and he pulls the role off brilliantly. For anyone put off by the runtime or the old-fashioned nature of thisGuys and Dolls, though, there isapparently an update/remake in the works.
‘The Missouri Breaks’ (1976)
The Missouri Breakssees Brando pitted against Jack Nicholson, both when it comes to the characters they play (Nicholson is the leader of a gang of horse thieves, whilst Brando is a hunter who’s hired to track them down and exterminate them), and maybe even when it comes to them as actors.
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It does feel like they’re going head-to-head, as two of the greatest actors of their time. But for as fantastic as Nicholson is, it’s probably Brando who steals the show here, even with less screen time than Nicholson. He does get the more entertaining character to play, so maybe that helps, but in any case, it’s a treat to see a western that features the two of them together in one movie.
‘The Score’ (2001)
Among themost memorable heist movies of the 21st centuryso far,The Scorecenters on an aging thief - played by Robert De Niro - who’s convinced to do one last big heist byEdward Norton’scharacter. Brando appears in a supporting role, as De Niro’s character’s mentor.
Like with Nicholson and Brando inThe Missouri Breaks, it’s great to see Brando paired with another fantastic actor - De Niro - here, especially when you consider that they didn’t share any scenes in anyGodfatherfilm, given they played the same character at different stages of his life. Even if you don’t find the heist storyline particularly fresh or exciting, it’s worth a watch just to see the two Vito Corleone’s together.
‘The Wild One’ (1953)
The Wild Oneis another one of Marlon Brando’s early iconic roles. Here, he plays the rebellious leader of a motorcycle club, and throughout the film, clashes with the law, the inhabitants of a town his club has just entered, and a rival motorcycle gang.
Few films scream “1950s” as much as this one does, and from a modern perspective, the acts of rebellion seen here and attempts to seem cool by some characters may come off as anything but. However, Brando still carries a screen presence, and was more than up to the task of playing a dejected, cynical youth who rebels against anything he can, at any chance he gets. Even if the movie isn’t a great one, Brando is great in it.
‘Apocalypse Now’ (1979)
Few people have the gravitas and screen presence needed to play a shadowy, enigmatic, and powerful figure like Colonel Kurtz in thehellish and haunting Vietnam War film,Apocalypse Now. However, on the other hand, few people are as great at acting as Marlon Brando, and he ended up being a perfect fit for the role, re-teaming with directorFrancis Ford Coppolafor the first time sinceThe Godfather.
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Most of the movie is spent with the main characters trying to reach Kurtz, and given they don’t do so until near the end, Brando’s role is relatively small here. But he makes every second of screen time count, and the fact there’s so much mystery about the character - and such a long build-up to reach him - means that his performance is even more impactful when he does eventually appear in the film.
‘Superman’ (1978)
Marlon Brando’s role inSupermanis somewhat comparable to his role inApocalypse Now, funnily enough. In each, he’s only in the film briefly, yet manages to leave quite an impact, being present only during the climax ofApocalypse Now, and having most of his screen time during the opening scenes inSuperman.
If you want a lot of Brando, you might walk away fromSupermana little disappointed, but at least he brings the gravitas and power needed for a role like this, where he has to be the father to one of the most well-known superheroes in history. Elsewhere, it’s asurprisingly great, classic superhero movie, so it’s truly well worth a watch beyond the fact it had Brando in it.
‘On the Waterfront’ (1954)
On the Waterfrontgave Brando his firstOscar, and is without a doubt not just one of his best performances, but one of the greatest performances in film history. In it, he plays a down-on-his-luck dockworker who becomes fed up with the crime and corruption around him, and tries to stand up to forces who certainly aren’t used to being resisted, leading to potentially deadly consequences.
It’s far from Brando’s first great performance, but it might be his first perfect one. He makes Terry feel like a real, fully fleshed out human being; a complex character who becomes easy to understand and sympathize with, largely due to Brando’s expert performance (the great screenplay and strong supporting performance fromEva Marie Sainthelp too, of course).
‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ (1951)
Even if it came afterThe Men,A Streetcar Named Desirewas what immortalized Marlon Brando as a legendary film actor. He’s not the film’s main character, but gives the film its most memorable performance as Stanley Kowalski, a domineering and often terrifying young man who’s married to Stella, the sister of the film’s protagonist, Blanche.
Brando’s intensity in the role is still powerful and undeniable, with the 70 years that have passed since its release doing nothing to dull its effect. It’s unsurprising he’d played this role on stage before becoming a movie actor, as he slips into it so effortlessly and completely embodies Stanley. It’s easy to see why it ranks among the most iconic performances Brando ever gave on screen.
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