Viva Zapata!

Rating:
Summary: Viva Kazan!!
Review: A great film directed by Elia Kazan, written by John Steinbeck and scored by Alex North. These are the ingredients of a great film. Brando plays the brooding Zapata in fine style. Joseph Wiseman a standout as a corrupt revolutionary and Alan Reed as Villa.

Anthony Quinn shows us all how to win an Oscar when your screen time is so little. Quinn, as Zapata,s, brother takes the viewer to another world of acting a role, his performance is a knockout.

Louis Gilbert has a soul for the times..and this is a good chance to see " Margo" in one of her later films.Quinn,s execution scene is one of the best two minutes put on film in a very long time. No video collection should be without this film.

Visually opulent in Black a White CP

Rating:
Summary: A romatic yet cynical look at the nature of 'Revolution'.
Review: I really enjoyed this film directed by Elia Kazan with a screenplay by John Steinbeck (his only credited screenplay). Their vision of the Revolution is at once both impossibly romantic as well as bitterly cynical. The romance lies in the pure-hearted desire of Emiliano Zapata to bring justice and land reform to 'the people'. The cynicism is expressed in the constant betrayal and manipulation of the Revolution by men who are either weak, self-seeking, or who have absolutely no commitment to justice or to 'the people. Then there is the character of Fernando, deliciously played by Joseph Wiseman, the professional revolutionary who will never be satisfied with the attainment of objectives but only in incessant foment and agitation (in real life, Kazan detested doctrinaire Stalinists). Brando gives a brooding performance as the illiterate Zapata who inwardly burns at his inability to read. Anthony Quinn won an Oscar as Zapata's older brother, Eufemio. Virtually all of the characters in 'Viva Zapata' are ground down by the realities of constant struggle of revolution. We are not to have illusions about the nature of Revolutions. And yet, Kazan and Steinbeck still leave us room to believe that the ideals of revolutionary struggle in themselves can be endowed with nobility and worthiness. The cinematography by Joe MacDonald is tasteful as is the music score by Alex North.

Rating:
Summary: Revoulationary spirit lives on
Review: I've read the screenplay by John Steinbeck and recently watched this movie again and I have some problems with it. The casting was not the best but I guess names sell movies. I know all the reviews are glowing 5 stars but I was less than convinced that Brando was Zapata. First of all that wimpy mustache has got to go. The real Zapata had a mustache for the ages. On the other hand the actor who played Porfirio Diaz at least looked a bit like him.Brandos terrible "Mexican accent" made me cringe throughout the movie. I know everyone says his acting was great but his crediblity was damaged right out the gate for me. If a movie is in English just speak English. Is the "Mexican accent" supposed to make it more authentic? I don't think so. Anthony Quinn would have probably made a better Zapata but instead he was relegated to the supporting actors role. Anthony Quinn, who spoke with such fervor and eloquence throughout the movie stole many of the scenes. The script by Steinbeck was much better and the movie adaption was loosely followed and often out of sequence. These personal observations aside I did think it was a good movie. The film is a romanticized version of Zapata(and Pancho Villa)and is full of interesting cinematography. One of my favorite scenes is when Zapata is brought into an ambush and later his lifeless body is left in town for display. As the dead Zapata lies in the plaza beneath him the water is flowing out of a pipe; the symbolism of water as the basis of life continues to flow, meanwhile the dialogue centers around how the man is not dead but will continue to live in the hearts and minds of the people. There are many memorable moments in this classic movie that compensate for the poor but prosperous Hollywood casting. All in all it is worth seeing again and could serve well in a film study class.

Rating:
Summary: Viva Zapata Viva Great Filmaking!!
Review: Of all the Marlon Brando films made in the 50,s, this is the film that is mostly overlooked and forgotten. The cast is uniformly excellent ! Anthony Quinn won an " Oscar" for his efforts in this film. His death scene is one of the best in the cinema. Joseph Wiseman is also not to be forgotten as a metaphor for the politics of that period. Alex North,s film score is superb...matching his work in " A Streetcar Named Desire" John Steinbeck,s Script is always on target. The final scene is a message itself. CP