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This dramatisation of the role of the peasant leader Emilio Zapata in the Mexican Revolution was the product of a close collaboration between screenwriter John Steinbeck and director Elia Kazan. Zapata (played by Marlon Brando), an ambiguous historical figure, is idealised in the film yet a certain psychological complexity is maintained. He is a symbolic figure, a ‘natural’ leader who is attuned to the essential needs of the people. Revolution thus becomes a natural rather than a revolutionary process. The weak idealist, Madero, cannot make the revolution work. The shadowy figure of Fernando, the advisor, stands as a symbol for Stalinism. Cast also includes Jean Peters, Anthony Quinn, Joseph Wiseman and Arnold Moss.
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
318582
Languages
Dutch
English
English
French
French
German
German
Italian
Italian
Spanish
Spanish
Audience classification
PG
Subject categories
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Biographical films
Feature films → Feature films - United States
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
DVD; Access Print (Section 1)