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do you wanna be forever young
written: 3:39 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16, 2002

I watched Marlon Brando in The Wild One this afternoon. Brando was cool. He struts about in his leather motorcycle jacket, raising cynical eyebrows at the townspeople, snarling at whoever dares to oppose him. While his gang members are loud and rowdy, he is reserved and subdued. He observes from the sidelines and doesn't directly participate, and the slight smile on his face every now and then reveals that he's amused.

But he's angry too. "What're you rebelling against?" "What've you got?" He doesn't deal with no cops. He guns the engine of his motorcycle as if it were the outlet of his frustrations. If there were ever to be an epitome of coolness, Brando in this film would be it.

The way he tried to impress Kathy made me want to burst out laughing, not because Brando overacted (like he ever could), but because it's so sickenly macho and chauvinist, in a way. In another way, it was kind of sexy. Can't quite put my finger on it, but the way he sauntered into the diner, the way he drawled, "Yeah, gimme a beer", the way he looked at Kathy, there was something in it. I don't know what.

I saw the trailers for said film and another Brando one, On the Waterfront, which was directed by Elia Kazan, the same guy who did East of Eden, in which God himself, James Dean, starred. Now, if there were ever to be funny-as-shit cinematic moments, those trailers, and anything that dates back to the 1950s, 1960s, etc, would be it. I mean, "We urge you to watch this cinematic masterpiece"? Um, okay. And do they gotta flash the actors' names in block letters and paste it on the actors' faces? And what was with that "the Streetcar man, Marlon Brando!" thingy? Talk about hilarious.

(Streetcar = A Streetcar Named Desire, another Brando film.)

Don't know if it's just me but American adults in the 1950s thereabout had a peculiar way of speaking, especially the men. I watched this interview with Jimmy about speeding, which was his public announcement service thing against speeding (which was kind of ironic, considering he loved racing cars), and the interviewer talked strangely. Jimmy, reliable as ever, drawled in his "I am so bored, get me out of here" way, and next to him, the interviewer sounded phony as hell.

Yes, that's the word. I don't know why, exactly, but Americans in the 1950s, at least those in the show business, sounded totally phony when they talk. It's kind of like, for example, advertising for like, Rebel Without A Cause or something, and they'd go, "This is the ULTIMATE movie EVER made about TEENAGERS! You have NEVER seen such ANGER! Such REBELLION! Such TOP-NOTCH ACTING!"

Blah blah bliddy blah. I don't really know what I'm trying to say.

*****

Class outing tomorrow to Sentosa. Sounds great, but they're meeting at the place where Gen and I broke up.

I don't think I'm going.

before sunrise // before sunset

Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010