Somebody: The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando

by Stefan Kanfer

Book Overview

Stefan Kanfer, acclaimed biographer of Lucille Ball and Groucho Marx, now gives us the definitive life of Marlon Brando, seamlessly intertwining the man and the work to give us a stunning and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400042895
• ISBN13: 9781400042890
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
• Length: 350 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.5" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Measured, Entertaining, and Enlightening

Biographies of entertainers can too often veer into total salaciousness or go inside the mind of the star in a full-blown Freudian analysis. An even-handed, realistic biography of a well-known entertainer is hard to find. Somebody, by Stefan Kanter, is such a book. The story of Marlon Brando is told with detail but it does not read like a gossip column. The inner life of Brando is explored but is never disconnected from the outward life of work and relationships. One of the interesting aspects of the book is the story of Brando's early years under the tutelage of Stella Adler. Brando found an environment in which his talent could thrive and his early work reflected his formative acting years. Kanter points out that while many people believe Brando was a study in unfulfilled promise, with a front-weighted career, there were many notable performances, if not commercial successes, between On the Waterfront (1954) and the Godfather (1972). On the other hand, Kanter does not shy away from the fact that Brando was a deeply troubled man with a seemingly unending stream of uncommitted relationships with women, deep mental anguish arising from his upbringing, a strong sense of social justice without consistent follow-through, riches without sound financial management, compulsive with regard to food and sex. I recommend this book as an interesting read for the casual movie fan.

AMAZING

Great story of his life! It was very inspiring since I myself am an actor who looks up to the legends like Brando!

More than a biography

With "Somebody," Stefan Kanfer offers much more than a biography of America's greatest actor; it is also a tangential history of America working through one of its most artistically creative and socially challenging periods. Balancing relevant stories and astute observations that consistently avoid useless digression, this fine author gives context and clarity to the life of an extremely complex and gifted man. But as the unfolding of Brando's life reveals, time and again, talent is not necessarily synonymous with either success or peace of mind. Deeply wounded by unresolved issues involving an antagonistic father and alcoholic mother, Brando seems to have spent much of his life in a state of self-loathing. Frequent manifestations come in the forms of emotional abuse and a lack of professional cooperation, behaviors that alienated the women in his life, as well as producers, directors and co stars in his work. But perhaps it was Brando's love-hate relationship with his art that turned out to be his greatest obstacle of all. Again and again throughout his career he became frustrated in his attempts to find substance or satisfaction within his profession, causing him to look far beyond the boards of Broadway and movie sets. He escaped to remote islands, and into relationships that only seemed to complicate his life further. Brando also tried repeatedly to immerse himself in associations with socially progressive groups supporting, among others, African-Americans, Native Americans, and fighting against their victimization by (to paraphrase Vito Corleone) those "big shots" holding the strings. The inconsistent acceptance of Brando's films, both among the critics and the public, may leave the casual movie fan thinking that in the end his career was one of mediocrity. Of course, it wasn't, as anyone who has seen, "On the Waterfront," Streetcar Named Desire," "The Godfather" and "Last Tango in Paris" can attest. And even in the films that "failed," Brando's performances within most of them prove, in retrospect, to be better than the projects ultimately deserved. This is the first serious biography of Marlon Brando since his death in 2004. It's difficult to imagine that any of the future ones (which are sure to be written) could be more definitive.

Actually, several different "somebodies"

Marlon Brando (April 3, 1924 - July 1, 2004) is usually ranked among the greatest screen actors because he performed brilliantly in a series of major films that began with A Streetcar Named Desire and continued with Viva Zapata! and On the Waterfront at least until The Godfather and (arguably) Last Tango in Paris. He also made a number of others of much lesser quality but in at least a few of those - The Men, Julius Caesar, The Wild One, One-Eyed Jacks, Superman, and Apocalypse Now -- his performance was memorable. What was he like off-screen? That depends on who is asked. Opinions vary. In this volume, Stefan Kanter quotes dozens of persons who knew Brando at various stages of his life and career. He also offers some opinions of his own. We now know that Brando made several films only because he desperately needed the money. As for Brando the person, he seems to resemble "the little girl with the curl" who, when she was good was very, very good but when she was bad, she was terrible. He had several wives, countless lovers (including men as well as women) and at least ten children and yet was unwilling and/or unable to sustain a relationship with most of them. He developed few close friendships (e.g. Wally Cox, Jack Nicholson, and perhaps Karl Malden) and little (if any) respect for most of his directors and other actors. Over the years, a number of those who worked with Brando or at least were directly associated with him have very specific opinions about him, some of which are quoted in Kanter's book or in other sources to which he refers. To me, one of the most revealing statements was made by Jack Nicholson: "I think Marlon knew he was the greatest. I don't think he dwelled on it, nor did he ever say as much to me. But, come on, there was a reason people expected so much from him right to the end. That's why people always expected him to be working. And believe me, there were times when he told me he wanted to work but couldn't." Indeed, Brando once admitted that he had spent a lifetime trying to be less lazy" and in that acknowledgment, Kanfer asserts, lies the key to all that came before. "If there was a `Rosebud' in Brando's life it was the mental illness that had dogged him for decades, probably from childhood...In the competition with his great rival Montgomery Clift, he seems to have won the self-destruction contest." Frequently Brando did indeed express a sense of shame because he earned his living as an actor. He ridiculed most films (including many of his own) as well as those involved with them. "He had stated for the record that acting was a `bum's life in that it leads to perfect indulgence. You get paid for doing nothing, and it all adds up to nothing.'" Another time, he "spilled his guts" to Elia Kazan: "Here I am, a balding, middle-aged failure...I feel a fraud when I act...I've tried everything...fucking, drinking, work. None of them mean anything. Why can't we be just like - like the Tahitians?" Kanfer is among those who

A brilliant biography of an important figure

Stefan Kanfer has written a magnificent book-- and posited a great look-- at one of the 20th Century's most important actors: Marlon Brando. My own words won't suffice here. If you know about Brando, you are curious. This is the ultimate Brando bio. Go buy this book, "Somebody." Steal it if you must. Kanfer has gotten into Brando's mind, and has explicated perfectly the reasons for his success, and angst, and ultimate failure. The author (Kanfer) is one of the bright minds of his generation. Five stars!