Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and Me.


Marlon Brando died in 2004. When he died, I posted on my blog about his passing thusly:

I loved Brando, but he'd just turned into such a wacko that he couldn't act anymore. As far as I was concerned, he had died 15 years ago. I was sad to hear he died, but he was 80 years old and treated himself and everyone around him like crap. He was a great actor in his day and a huge influence on countles people. I just think he was finished bringing his art to the world.

I now publicly rescind that statement. I don't remember what it was, but something piqued my interest in Brando a few months ago. Maybe it was a story I read or something on TV. But I began looking up information about him and this interest in all things Brando finally culminated in my reading his autobigraphy, Songs My Mother Taught Me. I thought the book was fascinating and great read.

Brando grew up a sensitive kid who brought home injured animals and drunks because he was imbued with a need to help others. His parents were drunks who gave him no love. He grew up uneducated and fell into acting. It turned out he was extremely good at it because of his inate sensitivity and history of pain. He always considered it just a way to meet girls and get paid, but he kept at it. Once he found out he could work in movies, making more money for less actual work, he never went back to the stage. He continued to act as a way to support his living of life. He did a lot of dumb things, but he lived life the way he wanted to. He refused to allow life to be a burden in any way. I claimed he became unable to act in his later years. The truth is that he simply acted when someone agreed to pay him what he wanted. Then he'd show up for work.
I'm super simplifying, but that's the gist.

He did a play about Jews once and began a lifelong love of Jewish culture and gave millions of dollars to help the formation of Israel. Later in life he became enthralled with jazz and black culture. he became friends with the Black panthers and gave millions to their cause, marched with them and spoke on their behalf when possible. Then he empathized with the Native Americans and gave millions to them, fought alongside them and raised awareness. Late in life he bought an island in Tahiti and entrenched himself in Polynesian culture. He said he loved their wild, life-loving ways and he stayed on the island as often as he could.

He was a gregarious, giving man who would much rather stare at the stars, or play with children, or help the human race than act. In his book he tells, in great detail, the joy he once got out of going outside, picking a lime and squeezing the juice onto a rusty pipe, so the acid would remove the rust. That gave him more satisfaction than Apocolypse Now. But if someone wanted to give him millions of dollars for a couple week's work, he could afford to continue his lifestyle and pump money into various charities.

I think he was a great actor and a flawed, but fascinating human being.