JohnDoe
Bryn
BrentonThe Chase (1966) - Brando interview included
October 12th 2007 00:00
Fear, corruption and sex - Brando goes down South.
Poster for The Chase - Available on DVD in Australia
Director: Arthur Penn
Starring; Marlon Brando, Angie Dickinson, Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, E.G Marshall, Robert Duvall, Janice Rule,
Made during what many consider method man Marlon Brando’s dead zone. Popular myth says that after defining himself as the actor of a generation with the Elia Kazan triple of Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Viva Zapata (1952) and On the Waterfront (1954) he just followed the paycheques, walking through parts until winning the Oscar for The Godfather in 1972. Sure there is some truth in the claim but there are also exceptions, notably One Eyed Jacks (61), The Ugly American (63) and Burn (69). The Chase also should not be ignored.
Directed by the hardline, subversive Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde, Nightmoves, Little Big Man) The Chase is an explosive drama that features a focused and controlled Brando as the Sheriff of a corrupt southern town.
Delivered as if Samuel Fuller (Shock Corridor) helmed a Tennessee Williams (Streetcar named Desire) script, this is melodrama that comments on the decline of a society. The power of money combined with fear to pollute even the most genuine emotions and intentions.
The escape of convict Bubba Reeves (Robert Redford) immediately triggers paranoia and guilt within the townsfolk. Bubba, a local boy with a wild streak was railroaded for stealing a car and the rumour is that he is making his way back home while state troopers hunt him down.
The only man who wants Bubba to stay alive is the bought and paid for Sherrif Calder (Brando). Doing the bidding of oil tycoon Val Rogers (E.G Marshal) for so long no one takes him seriously anymore. Determined to stand his ground and regain his pride Calder places himself between a drunken mob, an overprotective father and the ex chain gangers wife (Jane Fonda) in an attempt to face justice.
Behind the scenes and at the premiere of the Chase. Don't worry kids the films in Colour.
John Doe Says:
Exciting, there is a tense doom that lurks in the atmosphere and the strongly shaped characters spark every time they rub against each other. Sex booze and fire arms emerge as a wicked chemical combination, acting in unison with the dialogue to expose contemporary human nature.
Having just helmed Mickey Blue Eyes this marked the sign of things to come for Director Arthur Penn, a year later he would announce his intentions with the revolutionary Bonnie and Clyde. Ensuring that the story and players are supported by the cinematic mood Penn never loses sight of the themes hidden in the narrative.
Controlling playwright Horton Foote’s (Tender Mercies, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Trip to Bountiful) original text the sharp words obliterate certain boundaries hidden in the tortured and tormented psyches.
Marlon Brando gets his Southern drawl just right with under play and his performance is a slow burning dissection of motivation and implosive rage. Looking good and toying with subtle mannerisms his portrayal of a demolished giant struggling for self respect is unmissable.
In the part of Anne Reeves, Bubba’s wife Jane Fonda’s (Klute, California Suite, China Syndrome, Barbarella, They Shoot Horses Dont They?)role is pivotal to the heightened sense of drama. Making an impression in the early performance as the object of affection she makes what could have been the hooker with a heart of gold cliché into something richer and more complex.
This was only Robert Redford’s third film (The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The candidate, All the presidents Men) and the signs of stardom are still only hinted at, though his good looks and sympathetic nature are already clearly defined. Robert Duvall (The Godfather, Sling Blade, Colors, Tender Mercies, The Killer Elite, The Conversation)as the meek assistant to ultra rich Val Rogers steals most of his scenes.
Having not seen the film in widescreen before John Doe enjoyed the added dimension to this favourite. Just about everyone involved was on the cusp of something great and engages with its hyperbole of broken egos and personalities.
This is the first part if a 3 part series called Meet Marlon Brando. He doesn't talk about the Chase but it was recorded in the early 60's his early years and offers a real glimpse into the many moods of a disenchanted hero.
Here is Part 2 - Part 3 @ youtube.com
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