Marlon Brando: The 60’s and Beyond
In-Person – Tuesday 1:10 pm – 2:50 pm
Jan. 16, 23, 30, Feb. 6, 13
In 1960, with Brando at the top of his game, he was routinely referred to as the world’s greatest film actor who had the power to name his projects and his price. This may be the most interesting part of Brando’s career—where his undeniable genius as an actor constantly battled with his capriciousness and penchant for self-destruction. We examine and discuss many films, including the only film Brando ever directed (One-Eyed Jacks), legendary disappointments (Mutiny on the Bounty), “sleepers” (The Ugly American), noble failures (The Chase), embarrassing trash (Candy), entertaining comedies (The Freshman), controversial classics (Last Tango in Paris), oddball experiments (Night of the Following Day) and, of course, one of the greatest films and dramatic comebacks of all time—The Godfather. A bewildering variety of films that create a fascinating portrait of an artist in conflict with himself, his profession, and the world he inhabits. Understanding Brando may very well be impossible, but it will be fun to try!
- Week 1: (1960-62) One-Eyed Jacks, Mutiny On the Bounty, The Ugly American
- Week 2: (1964-67) Bedtime Story, The Chase, The Countess from Hong Kong, Reflections in a Golden Eye
- Week 3: (1968-71) Night of the Following Day, Candy, Burn!, The Nightcomers
- Week 4: (1972-76) The Godfather, Last Tango in Paris, The Missouri Breaks, Superman
- Week 5: (1979-2001) Apocalypse Now!, The Dry White Season, The Freshman, Don Juan DeMarco, The Score
Gary Carlson, retired English Professor at Norwalk Community College, has created and taught a wide variety of courses on writing, literature, film and pop culture. A published writer of fiction, non-fiction, film and music criticism, he also hosted several local radio programs on music history and was the founder and host of NCC’s long-running “Movie-of-the-Month” series.
Although some films were discussed in a previous course, this Winter 2024 Marlone Brando is designed to stand alone.