The Wild One is a 1953 movie directed by Laslo Benedek.
The Wild One tells the story of Johnny, the leader of a rebel motorcycle gang. The bikers invade a small town and cause havoc, before the locals fight back – leading to an unfortunate end.
It’s hard to separate this movie from both its lead actor and the cultural impression forged by its release. While nostalgia may color this view, The Wild One is emblematic of 1950’s cinema and more specifically, classic teenage angst.
Marlon Brando became a pop culture icon and a symbol of rebellion, which unfortunately overshadows what is a terrific, nuanced acting performance.
In this sense, the movie’s most memorable line can be easily disposable: “What are you rebelling against? What do you got?” Underneath this dialogue is a storm of emotions, confusion and violence that Brando delicately represses.
Brando’s intensity is unrivaled but what’s also impressive is how he locks onto his character’s insecurity and mistrust of the world. When he fails to lessen any emotional attachments to Mary Murphy’s Kathie, he immediately acts to remove himself from the situation.
It’s a classic loner rationale – he senses feelings that either rob him of freedom and/or could lead to eventual hurt. Brando carefully cultivates the aloof outsider image but there’s a void that requires validation. His stolen race trophy becomes the symbol of this missing aspect of his life.
The value he places on this object leads to a powerful final scene in which Brando’s Johnny exposes his vulnerabilities to Kathie by giving her the trophy. On the surface, it’s a goofy, overwrought gesture in a movie targeted for 1950’s teenagers. However, it’s also the culmination of an actor who entirely inhabited a complex, wounded character with massive trust issues.
Brando is clearly the standout of the movie, but The Wild One boasts a strong supporting cast. Murphy is intriguing as Kathie, who plays an archetypal, dependent female role. However, she is impressive in scenes where she challenges Brando – standing firm in his presence. She digs at him while describing her weak-willed father: “He’s got no business being a cop. He’s fake like you.”
Robert Keith’s Sheriff Bleeker is perfectly cast as the timid man charged with defending the town from rival motorcycle gangs. He fits another 1950’s archetype as the adult male who can’t effect change. His initial empathy towards Johnny is extinguished when Brando coldly declares: “I don’t make no deal with no cop.”
It’s difficult to steal scenes in a Brando movie but Lee Marvin does just that. His Chino is a rival biker who exhibits a Shakespearean flair. He delivers soliloquies with a Beatnik drawl before engaging in dusty brawls. Marvin’s most dynamic line occurs after the gangs decide to abandon the town: “Storm the Bastille!!”
The BEST – Timothy Carey
Readers of this site know my fascination with Timothy Carey. In The Wild One, he has a bit part as Chino’s backup. Yet, his lumbering frame and unexpected expressions stand out.
The BEST Part 2 – Old Man Nostradamus
The old man working at Kathie’s family restaurant laments the lost art of communication in 1953: “It’s just pictures and a lot of noise. No one even knows how to talk.” He may have been ahead of his time.
The BEST Part 3 – Hipster Talk
It’s always fun to hear lost slang – the two bikers lathering themselves up into a faux Jazz beat is a highlight. “Thumb me, will you daddio?” Also, the impact of calling someone a “square” is truly felt in what proved to be a counter-culture narrative.
The WORST – Casual Sexual Assault
Brando’s Johnny doesn’t come off well after he rescues Kathie from the gang. He takes her to a safe hill-top spot where he essentially forces himself on her. Her only true defense is to expose him for his fear of genuine intimacy. It’s a scene that doesn’t age well in physical terms but also reveals some contemporary truths.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 4/5
In the hands of another actor, The Wild One would be a forgettable movie. Certainly, it’s a cultural landmark of its time – but Brando’s intense and vulnerable acting elevates the movie to a legendary status. It’s worth a watch.
