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The story of Emiliano Zapata which follows his life from the early years as a youngster who leads a delegation to Mexico City to protest the stealing of land from his people, to his being outlawed, to his leading role in the revolution which overthrew the Diaz regime.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
A great classic film, Viva Zapata! gives us Kazan (the director), Brando (the star), and Steinbeck (who wrote the script) at the height of their powers, with the splendid additions of Jean Peters, Mildred Dunnock , and the young Antony Quinn (who won an Academy Award as Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the Mexican leader's heedlessly macho brother). Brando's nose is flattened and his nostrils are dliated by plastic thimbles to make him look the part, which he does magnificently. He is heroically natural, quite perfect as Steinbecks's version of the passionate Zapata.
Steinbeck's knowledge and love of Mexico by this time in his career was genuine and deep; and his writing throughout the film is enlivening, intelligent, and original: the dialogue of the delightful scene in which Zapata tries to win a wife from a middle-class family, for example, is cast entirely in dichos---proverbs or sayings--- traditional in Hispanic culture. Minor parts are filled brilliantly and range from obscure double agents to such historic figures as Diaz, Huerta, Madero and Pancho Villa.
Kazan's sustained visual and dramatic sense do full justice to the talents of his writer and cast and to the story he has to tell, of a revolutionary leader whose charisma still has enormous power many decades after his death. Two battle-scene set-pieces are tremendous. As in the best of Kazan's other work, though, he shows us in Viva Zapata! the heart-breaking beauty of ordinary, gritty, every-day life among simple people who deserve better than whatever it is they have been offered. A thrilling movie.
Steinbeck's knowledge and love of Mexico by this time in his career was genuine and deep; and his writing throughout the film is enlivening, intelligent, and original: the dialogue of the delightful scene in which Zapata tries to win a wife from a middle-class family, for example, is cast entirely in dichos---proverbs or sayings--- traditional in Hispanic culture. Minor parts are filled brilliantly and range from obscure double agents to such historic figures as Diaz, Huerta, Madero and Pancho Villa.
Kazan's sustained visual and dramatic sense do full justice to the talents of his writer and cast and to the story he has to tell, of a revolutionary leader whose charisma still has enormous power many decades after his death. Two battle-scene set-pieces are tremendous. As in the best of Kazan's other work, though, he shows us in Viva Zapata! the heart-breaking beauty of ordinary, gritty, every-day life among simple people who deserve better than whatever it is they have been offered. A thrilling movie.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
only if you know a bit about Mexican history.
John Steinbeck might have been a great writer, but of FICTION! The fact is the real Zapata stayed a lot longer in office than this film would have you believe;he liked power, however poor his background.
He was a man of principle, though;he let someone else shoot his opponents, instead of dirtying his own hands or conscience!
And any contemporary photograph of Emiliano will show you a moustache much more reminiscent of a dead water-rat than Brando's. Though Marlon's style did at least live to surface again in hippier times!!
But, who cares? Flaws there are, but it's a superb film. Joseph Wiseman may be a totally spurious agent provocateur/prototype CIA operatve, but he creates one hell of a persausive force for Zapata. Ditto his brother, Anthony Quinn, to illustrate the venal, macho culture as another primrose path Emiliano has to avoid.
Finally, beyond the well-recreated Pancho Villa & Huerta, who would have made a great double act if they'd been on the same side, there's Brando. He takes a long while to even engage you, and you frequently feel Zapata will only be a minor player in historical terms.
But Brando gets you there in the end, wisely illustrating both the agonised choosing Zapata goes through to stay true to his principles and the fact he very much had feet of clay. The humanity and human frailty shine through, and you can guess how this will end, even if history is being radically rewritten.
Thankfully, it doesn't end there, as no-one involved in this could have predicted the rise of the Zapatarist party in Mexican politics in recent years. They aren't responsible for the modern Mexico, but they are an important part in shaping it.... Read more ›
John Steinbeck might have been a great writer, but of FICTION! The fact is the real Zapata stayed a lot longer in office than this film would have you believe;he liked power, however poor his background.
He was a man of principle, though;he let someone else shoot his opponents, instead of dirtying his own hands or conscience!
And any contemporary photograph of Emiliano will show you a moustache much more reminiscent of a dead water-rat than Brando's. Though Marlon's style did at least live to surface again in hippier times!!
But, who cares? Flaws there are, but it's a superb film. Joseph Wiseman may be a totally spurious agent provocateur/prototype CIA operatve, but he creates one hell of a persausive force for Zapata. Ditto his brother, Anthony Quinn, to illustrate the venal, macho culture as another primrose path Emiliano has to avoid.
Finally, beyond the well-recreated Pancho Villa & Huerta, who would have made a great double act if they'd been on the same side, there's Brando. He takes a long while to even engage you, and you frequently feel Zapata will only be a minor player in historical terms.
But Brando gets you there in the end, wisely illustrating both the agonised choosing Zapata goes through to stay true to his principles and the fact he very much had feet of clay. The humanity and human frailty shine through, and you can guess how this will end, even if history is being radically rewritten.
Thankfully, it doesn't end there, as no-one involved in this could have predicted the rise of the Zapatarist party in Mexican politics in recent years. They aren't responsible for the modern Mexico, but they are an important part in shaping it.... Read more ›
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By websurfer
Format:DVD
In 1952 Elia Kazan, reunited with Marlon Brando after "A Street Car Named Desire", and begun shoting another powerfull social drama, this time about the Zapatist revolution in Mexico.
With a script by John Steinbeck, author of such brilliant novels as The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, the film presents a great cast with good performances by Marlon Brando and specially Anthonny Quinn who won the Oscar for best male in suporting role.
With a script by John Steinbeck, author of such brilliant novels as The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, the film presents a great cast with good performances by Marlon Brando and specially Anthonny Quinn who won the Oscar for best male in suporting role.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By The CinemaScope Cat
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This Elia Kazan directed film is hampered with a flawed screenplay by John Steinbeck that drags out the "we the people" cliches (though their placement here is not near as deadly as in John Ford's film of Steinbeck's GRAPES OF WRATH) but strong direction and excellent performances push the film through. Fittingly, that young rebel and revolutionary (in acting terms) Marlon Brando is Zapata, the Mexican revolutionary and rebel and while he has no big scenes, he has some wonderful moments and touches that only a great actor can bring to a part. The film's biggest mistake is in the obviousness of the character that Joseph Wiseman plays, a cold and calculating Judas Iscariot with no identifiable human feelings. He's such an obvious symbol and cliche that he almost throws the movie out of whack. The fine cast includes Jean Peters (in her best film performance) as Zapata's wife, Anthony Quinn in his Oscar winning performance as Zapata's brother, Margo, Alan Reed, Frank Silvera, Henry Silva and Mildred Dunnock. The beauty of a score is by Alex North.
The British Fox Classics edition is a nice looking B&W appropriately full screen (1.33) print.
The British Fox Classics edition is a nice looking B&W appropriately full screen (1.33) print.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Graham R. Hill
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A very good film and one of many Brando performances with a political message. Neither Brando's performance nor John Steinbeck's script leave any doubt that a point was being made. But the film doesn't shirk the compromises that must occur when principles meet reality or the disillusion when great men are surrounded by those who aren't.
A masterley performance from Brando and Anthony Quinn is also excellent.
A masterley performance from Brando and Anthony Quinn is also excellent.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Still awaiting a good biopic film on Poncho Villa and Zapata.
They say a good story should be shown not told and I think that this term applies very much to this film. Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2009 by L. MOORE
5.0 out of 5 stars
liberty and power are ever only for some
This is an excellent film about Mexican Revolution and the problems and vices of taking so much power by war and force, that are ever the same, no matter if these are communists,... Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2008 by Carlos Vazquez Quintana
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Bolivarian ploughman
The film tells the story of the farmer who inspired and led his fellow men in struggle against injustice - ploughing the sea, as Bolivar put it. Read more
Published on 22 Sep 2003 by �sgeir P�tursson
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