Director: Bill Fishman
Writer: Bill Fishman, based on the memoir by Bernard Judge
Cast: Billy Zane, Jon Heder, Richard Dreyfuss, Camille Razat, Alaina Huffman, Tia Carrere, James Jagger

Marlon Brando is a legend of cinema, but he also did a lot of good behind the scenes (literally). He certainly wasn’t a perfect man (his philandering with both men and women has been quite well-documented, as well as his behaviour on film sets), but there was a depth to him, and many people are ensuring that his good deeds continue to be known, including his support for human rights, specifically children, Black people and Native Americans. It also includes the design and construction of a home, village and environmental laboratory on Tetiʻaroa, a French Polynesian island surrounding a lagoon that he bought with the money from film roles he took purely to fund his vision, by architect Bernard Judge, ensuring all was done without harming the natural environment. Does Waltzing with Brando shine a light on the man that Brando truly was, or is it yet another dramatic biopic with little dynamism to it?

In 1960, actor Marlon Brando (Zane) purchased the atoll island Tetiʻaroa from a descendant of the previous owner, fuelled by his love of its natural beauty. In 1970, he hired architect Bernard Judge (Heder) to build him a home and a small village on the island, while ensuring the project is sustainable and doesn’t affect nature of the island, not to mention any archaeological finds along the way. Judge and Brando’s working relationship grew into a friendship in the five years thereafter, as Judge spent most of his time on the island, even bringing his family out there for a spell. The film is narrated from Judge’s point of view and his perspective on Brando.

In terms of showcasing a side of Brando most won’t have seen, Waltzing with Brando paints him in a more relaxed and friendly light, the reverse of his usual Hollywood persona. His disdain for the movie industry was quite well-known, and so it tracks that he would feel more at home somewhere he was not hounded by fans and the media. Framing it through a narrative structure also made sense, given its source material, however the moments of fourth wall breaking from Bernard Judge gave it a more fantastical than realistic feel, like one of those teen characters on a TV show explaining ‘how I got into this mess’. Judge was certainly the more realistic of the pair, considering it was down to him to figure out the logistics and designs of Brando’s ideas, and yet Brando seemed to be the more grounded, wise character much of the time. It’s very dialogue heavy, meaning the pacing slows down quite a bit and is only revived when the scenes revert to an event more substantial in Brando’s life (the birth of his child, filming The Godfather, his interviews, etc.).

It appears that the film was shot on location on Tetiʻaroa and French Polynesia in general, giving it an authentic feel while also showcasing the stunning landscape. The film makes it easy to understand why Brando fell in love with the place and insisted on keeping as much of it intact as possible. Fishman’s direction along with Garrett O’Brien’s cinematography captured some beautiful scenes, including along the coasts and in the lagoons amongst waterfalls, and some wonderful moments between Brando and Judge, as well as Brando and other characters. Seeing Brando’s reaction to becoming a father was comedic, whether it was intended to be or not, due to his womanising and fathering of numerous children. He was king of his island, though a relatively thoughtful and benevolent king.

Watching this film was like playing a game of ‘Brando or Billy’. Of course it’s all Billy Zane, right down to scenes and bloopers taken from some of Brando’s films (though he is sometimes shopped into Brando’s place in old interviews), but it truly is uncanny. Part of that is down to hair and make-up, but Zane just has the right physicality and appearance to look like Brando, and fortunately he also has the talent to mimic him and bring him (back) to life. Zane’s performance is superb and immersive, certainly award-worthy, and is what really makes the film worthwhile. Jon Heder’s performance is hammier (ironically; Brando was a ‘hammy’ actor to some) and comes off as theatrical rather than dramatic at times. He does however settle into the role of Bernard Judge and become more likeable as the film goes on. There are multiple great supporting performances too, particularly from Richard Dreyfuss and Alaina Huffman (with Zane’s own daughter appearing as Judge’s daughter Sabrina).

The 60s-70s were rather a tumultuous time in Brando’s public and personal life, juxtaposing with his more successful film career, considering certain movies of his that were released at the time, and so while it is very interesting to see what was going on in another aspect of his life, it perhaps wasn’t the most dramatic or made-for-film part of his story. The performances on the whole are excellent, particularly from Billy Zane, and the setting is a beautiful paradise of gorgeous scenery, but the story is perhaps not the dynamic or dramatic chapter one would expect from a film diving into Brando’s personal life and views. It could easily have been a television docudrama rather than a feature-length motion picture, but that would perhaps have been a waste of Zane’s talents. I for one would love to see a full biopic of Brando’s life with Zane in the lead role in the future.