The Wild One (1953)

Directed by: Lázsló Benedek | 76 minutes | drama | Actors: Marlon Brando, Mary Murphy, Robert Keith, Robert Keith, Lee Marvin, Jay C. Flippen, Peggy Maley, Hugh Sanders, Ray Teal, John Brown, Will Wright, Robert Osterloh, Robert Bice, Yvonne Doughty, William Vedder, Timothy Carey, John Doucette, Richard Farnsworth, Gil Stratton, Angela Stevens, Jerry Paris, Keith Clarke, Jim Connell, Darren Dublin, Joe Haworth, Mary Newton

Marlon Brando was a revolutionary. His progressive way of acting, the famous method acting, became the norm in the film world during the 1950s. Moreover, with his non-conformist lifestyle, he personified a new generation yearning for rebellion. One of the films that shaped Brando’s image was 1953’s “The Wild One,” the fifth film to feature the name of the Omaha, Nebraska-born actor. In this American cult classic, Brando portrays in his own unique way the leader of a notorious biker gang that doesn’t care about the established order and pursues anarchy. Although it is by no means Marlon Brando’s best work, it is one of his most memorable performances. The image of the actor posing defiantly in a leather jacket and jeans on his motorbike with his captain’s cap slyly on his head is as connected to the rising youth rebellion of the 1950s as James Dean’s Jim Stark in ‘Rebel without a Cause’ (1955).

In ‘The Wild One’, Marlon Brando plays Johnny Stabler, the leader of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, a bunch of unhinged youths who ride their motorcycles across America, leaving a trail of destruction and anarchy. After disrupting a traditional motorcycle race, they move on to the dormitory town of Wrightsville, California. In the beginning people still look surprised at the boys with their fast tearing irons, but it soon gets out of hand. It starts with an accident in which an elderly resident of the town crashes with his car at the hands of the motorcyclists. Then a rival motorbike led by Chino (Lee Marvin) causes the necessary turmoil. Eventually, the town’s population revolts against the biker gangs, bringing it to a climax. Because Johnny is mainly concerned with picking on Kathy (Mary Murphy), the daughter of the incompetent sheriff Harry Bleeker (Robert Keith), he realizes too late that his gang is completely over the line, with all the consequences that entails. .

In the early 1950s, “The Wild One,” directed by Lázsló Benedek and produced by Stanley Kramer, was a highly controversial film. Not so much the violence between the rival youth gangs, but especially the lack of a moral condemnation caused a scandal. The film has been banned in many countries for a long time, including in Great Britain where ‘The Wild One’ was only banned in 1968. It was feared that young people would be inspired by the film to run amok. In fact, it would take years for motorcyclists to get rid of the ‘rioter’ label. ‘The Wild One’ is based on an incident in the Californian town of Hollister in 1947, when hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts descended there to celebrate Independence Day. The main difference, however, is that they hardly caused any disturbance and treated the local residents with respect. So it was all a bit smoother for the film. Nevertheless, it remains a thin story with very little depth.

This film must of course be seen in the perspective of time. In the fifties the events in ‘The Wild One’ were shocking, decades later you wonder what people were so concerned about. If this movie were made in the twenty-first century, things would be a lot more intense. The status of cult classic probably owes this film mainly to the presence of Marlon Brando, according to many the best actor of all time. And although Brando does not have to pull out all the stops, he still manages to make an intriguing figure out of Johnny Stabler. His charisma is endless and his style of acting makes the character more physical and real. It is a pity, however, that he often gets ridiculous dialogues for his choice. The only legendary quote from this film is the re-animated by cartoon character Lisa Simpson, “What are you rebelling against, Johnny?”, a question posed by Kathy, to which Johnny replies: “Whaddaya got?” In addition to Brando, Lee Marvin (‘The Dirty Dozen’, 1967) plays a strong role as the aggressive Chino. His group has split off from Johnny’s, because two types of leaders simply don’t mix. It is significant, however, that shortly after the two got into a serious fight, Johnny suddenly stands up for Chino when he is arrested by the police. Because as much as they can’t stand each other, their hatred of the police is still much greater. Other actors in minor roles include Gil Stratton (‘Stalag 17’, 1953) and Richard Farnsworth (‘The Straight Story’, 1999).

‘The Wild One’ owes its status as a cult classic mainly to Marlon Brando, who makes a deep impression with its appearance alone. But anyone who expects an acting performance as brilliant as in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ (1951), ‘On the Waterfront’ (1954) and ‘The Godfather’ (1972) will be disappointed. This superficial film and role Brando does not offer enough opportunities for that. ‘The Wild One’ isn’t nearly as impressive as it must have been at the time of its release, but still well worth a look as it’s a fine document of the early fifties. Young people dared to stand up to the establishment for the first time, especially now that their heroes Brando and – a few years later – James Dean did too. ‘Rebel without a Cause’ remains the ultimate rebel film from the fifties, but the real Brando fan must have seen ‘The Wild One’ at least once.