Marlon Brando (A & E Biography) (ISBN 0789493179)

One long sneer from an intellectual snob:
Marlon Brando was, according to David Thomson, brilliant and a genius when it came to acting but, the reader is repeatedly told, not very smart intellectually. In fact he was rather dim. So dim that he didn't really understand his own films or indeed his own life. So it is a good job we have film critics like Thomson to explain how wrong about everything Brando was. For example, when Brando said his childhood was rather unhappy because both his parents were alcoholics he was mistaken. Why? Because when Thomson looks at Brando family photos young Marlon is (albeit in a rather dim way) always smiling. The only evidence that Thomson gives for Brando's lack of intelligence is his academic failure at school. The fact that he was dyslexic (a condition which wasn't even known at the time) is dismissed out of hand as a possibly relevant factor. Elia Kazan, on the other hand, was a college graduate so obviously he can't be dim. No he is, instead, ugly - again the reader is told this repeatedly. Brando's weight problems, another cause of constant sniping, also appear to be connected to his lack of intelligence because, apparently, he was too dim to realise that he should be seeing nutritionists rather than psychiatrists. Which brings me to my main objection to this book: the constant sneering at Brando as a self indulgent fool because he went to see psychiatrists. What is the self indulgence in a person with mental or emotional problems seeking professional help to overcome them? I have always thought that Brando suffered from some form of Bipolar disorder (which is to a large extent genetic). If he did it would explain so many of the things that happened in his life. It is also a condition which is almost invariably associated with above average intelligence.

bad, just plain bad...:
The one star is for the DK format, which is neat and nifty with good photographs and interesting captions that provide a historical and cultural context to Marlon Brando's time. The rest of the book is an unbearable read, no more than a hatchet job of writing and supposed "insights" into the life and work of Marlon Brando. Using a present-tense narrative voice and a prose-style that would make an editor cringe, Thomson attempts to guide us through the highlights of Brando's life and career, providing not only stories and anecdotes but also "insights" into the inner-workings of Brando's troubled mind. Yes, Thomson gives us Brando's motivations. But he guesstimates more than anything else. He questions young Brando's nervous breakdown in New York; saying that it could be more Brando "acting up" than really a result of being overwhelmed by his mother's alcoholism and sadness. We find this type of condescension and conjecturing throughout the book. In addition Thomson pulls up gossipy muck such as possible abortions and homosexual encounters. We all know that Brando was no saint and downplaying his womanizing and tragic personal life would be irresponsible, but this book isn't worthy of the lowest porn movie extra, much less to one of our greatest acting talents and cultural icon. It has the tint of yellow journalism in glossy hardcover.

Not Thomson's Best:
Thomson essays the question, 'What is an actor?', using Brando as a template. This book is only a biography in passing. Thomson argues against identifying actors with their parts, or treating them as the accumualted amalgamations of their roles. The cult worship of Brando, especially among the sensitive and intelligent, provides Thomson with a poignant model. Yet this is often a frustrating read. Thomson's argument is diffused by the book's chronological structure, while the details of Brando's biography serve a hypothesis rather than an accurate portrait of the man. He treats Brando as a text to be analysed, hence his use of present tense in describing Brando's history and the lack of interest he takes in the last thirty years of the man's life. An incisive but one-dimensional portrait.

Great Book despite Itself:
Don't believe ANY negatives you hear about this book. David Thomson is one of the most insightful, experienced and forgiving film scholars in existence. His Biographical Dictionary of Film (recently revised) is one of the all-time great reference books, with each essay, whether 200 words or 2000 words, a gem of conciseness and observation. No one is uninteresting to Thomson, and no fact is irrelevant. Thomson loves Brando even though he was hard to love, made many mistakes, and was a paradox.The book is full of inside information, psychological sophistication and tempered reverence. Everything about this book is wonderful, especially its refusal to present a Brando most people want to hear about. The pictures are all superb. Thank god we have this book. If only Thomson had written a similar one about 1000 other actors and directors.

Good Pictures, Bad Review:
The positive features of this book include its many photos and interesting captions. DK books are known for their aesthetically pleasing quality. Praise for it ends there, as the author's impressions are less than kind and uncalled for.