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Bookmark this pageViva Zapata! (1952)
Director: Elia Kazan
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Covered in an unconvincing mess of Mexican make-up, Brando adds a touch of fire to this otherwise frequently dull tale of the outlaw who became a revolutionary hero in the struggle against the tyrannical President Diaz. An actorly film, of course - what else would one expect from Kazan? - but the direction and John Steinbeck's script seem stranded in a no man's land between straightforward adventure and a pessimistic allegory about the corrupting nature of power.Author: GA
User reviews of this film
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- Darrel Hansen said...
- Posted on May 23 2009 20:00 The Film Guide critique may well be true but focuses only on the trivial. I have watched Viva! many times, and each time I like it better. It grows on one much like CasaBlanca. It is hauntingly beautiful throughout the entire film and does great credit to the actors, Kazan, Steinbeck, and the Zapata legend, while at the same time conveying a sense of the tragedy and almost intermible length of the Mexican Revolution.
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Cast & crew
Director: Elia Kazan
Producer: Darryl F Zanuck
Cast: Marlon Brando, Jean Peters, Anthony Quinn, Joseph Wiseman, Margo, Frank Silvera, Mildred Dunnock, Henry Silva full cast
Duration: 113 mins
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