December 6, 2015 -- This Showtime documentary about famed actor Marlon Brando ingeniously uses an extensive cache of tape recordings, photos, digital scans, interviews and film clips to give us an intimate portrait of this complex, talented, enigmatic man.

Brando, considered one of the greatest actors in history, has been a man shrouded in mystery for years, but this documentary lifts the veil to some extent. It turns out that Brando recorded himself at great length, speaking into a tape recorder for hours, talking about his life and his thoughts. According to the film, these recordings have not previously been made public. We hear the recorded Brando, seeming narrating this movie, commenting on the same movie scenes and news footage we see on the screen. This is extremely effective and convincing.

One of the things Brando talks about early in the film is digital technology and how it will transform the film industry in the future (a future that has now arrived). He talks about the experience of having his head scanned, and having a digital copy of himself created. On screen, we see a ghostly digital copy of Brando, like a death mask, speaking to us, and we hear Brando speaking about his digital copy. The digital Brando appears periodically throughout the film.

The film shows Brando from childhood to late in his life. He talks about his mother, who left, and his abusive, alcoholic father. Both his parents were alcoholics, Brando said. We see the young, athletic Brando, and the old, bloated, fat Brando. We hear his self hypnosis tapes and his mantras, both an attempt to lose weight, as well as a way to inner peace.

Numerous film clips follow Brando's career through its ups and downs, and his political activism on behalf of minorities, blacks and American Indians. His love of the Indonesian culture, inspired by location shooting during “Mutiny on the Bounty,” his arguments with directors in that film and others, including “Apocalypse Now.”

The great tragedies in his life, his rocky marriages, the death by suicide of his daughter, Cheyenne, and the killing of her boyfriend, Dag Drollet, years earlier by Cheyenne's half brother. Christian, at Brando's, home are highlighted in the film.

Brando talks about meditation, trying to find peace in his life. He talks about Hollywood films (not art, but business, he says) the Stanislavski method of acting, which he helped to popularize. He said it is a lot tougher to do quiet scenes than the big emotional scenes.

This film delves into deep pools of revealing materials and conjures up the digital ghost of Marlon Brando quite convincingly. It is a marvelous magic recreation of a fascinating, troubled man, haunted by tragedy. This film rates an A.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2015 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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