Viva Zapata!

US (1952): Drama

Marlon Brando brings dignity and strength to his portrayal of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata. A reluctant hero, Zapata leads the peasants in a quest to seize their land back from the wealthy after first trying to ignore his calling. He promises his wife (Jean Peters) a quiet life and finds work on a horse farm. But the indignities and cruelty of the government are finally too much, and Brando takes command, with his brother Eufemio (Anthony Quinn), of a peasant army. He joins the revolution being waged in the north by Pancho Villa (Alan Reed) and, after they come to power, is faced with the complexities of governing. A breakthrough for both Kazan and Brando, it continued their collaboration, begun with the stage production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1947-49) and three powerful films in four years, Streetcar (1951), Zapata, and On the Waterfront (1954). (20th Century-Fox) (amctv.com)

 View the original theatrical trailer for this film on YouTube.com.

5 nominations, 1 Award