| Viva Zapata! | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Elia Kazan |
| Written by | John Steinbeck |
| Produced by | Darryl F. Zanuck |
| Starring | Marlon Brando Jean Peters Anthony Quinn |
| Cinematography | Joseph MacDonald |
| Edited by | Barbara McLean |
| Music by | Alex North |
| Distributed by | 20th Century-Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 113 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.8 million[2] |
| Box office | $1.9 million(US rentals)[3] |
Viva Zapata! is a 1952 AmericanbiographicalWestern film directed byElia Kazan, dramatizing the life ofMexican revolutionaryEmiliano Zapata from hispeasant upbringing through his rise to power in the early 1900s and his death in 1919. It starsMarlon Brando as the title character, and featuresJean Peters as his wife Josefa andAnthony Quinn as his brotherEufemio. The screenplay was written byJohn Steinbeck, using Edgcumb Pinchon's 1941 bookZapata the Unconquerable as a guide.
To make the film as authentic as possible, Kazan and producerDarryl F. Zanuck studied the numerous photographs that were taken during the revolutionary years, the period between 1909 and 1919, when Zapata led the fight to restore land taken from common people during the dictatorship ofPorfirio Díaz. Kazan was especially impressed with theAgustín Casasola collection of photographs, and he attempted to duplicate their visual style in the film. Kazan also acknowledged the influence ofRoberto Rossellini'sPaisan (1946).[4]
The film was released by20th Century Fox on February 13, 1952. It received generally positive reviews from critics and was nominated for fiveAcademy Awards, with Anthony Quinn winning forBest Supporting Actor.
Emiliano Zapata is part of a delegation sent to complain about injustices to corrupt longtime presidentPorfirio Díaz, but Díaz dismisses their concerns, driving Zapata to open rebellion, along with his brotherEufemio. He unites withPancho Villa under the leadership of naive reformerFrancisco Madero.
Díaz is finally toppled and Madero takes his place, but Zapata is dismayed to find that nothing is changing. Madero offers Zapata land of his own while failing to take action to distribute land to thecampesinos who fought to end the dictatorship and break up the estates of the elites. Zapata rejects the offer and seeks no personal gain. Meanwhile, the ineffectual but well-meaning Madero puts his trust in treacherous generalVictoriano Huerta. Huerta first takes Madero captive andthen has him murdered.
As it becomes clear that each new regime is no less corrupt and self-serving than the one it replaced, Zapata remains guided by his desire to return to the peasants their recently robbed lands while forsaking his personal interests. His brother sets himself up as a petty dictator, taking what he wants without regard for the law, but Zapata remains a rebel leader of high integrity. Although he is able to defeat Huerta after Madero's assassination, as a result of his integrity, Zapata loses his brother and his position.
Although in the end Zapata himself is lured into an ambush and killed, the film suggests that the resistance of thecampesinos does not end. Rumors begin that Zapata never died, but is instead continuing to fight from the hills, feeding thecampesinos a sense of hope. As several scenes suggest, over the years, thecampesinos have learned to lead themselves rather than looking to others to lead them.
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Filming took place in locations around the American Southwest, includingDurango, Colorado,Roma, Texas,San Ygnacio, Texas inZapata County, andNew Mexico.[5]
The screenplay was written byJohn Steinbeck based on Edgcomb Pinchon's 1941 bookZapata the Unconquerable. Steinbeck's screenplay has been published as a book along with a narrative of Zapata's life that Steinbeck also wrote.[5]
Barbara Leaming writes in her biography ofMarilyn Monroe that Monroe tried to obtain a part in the film, but failed, presumably because ofDarryl F. Zanuck's lack of faith in her ability, both as an actress and as a box-office draw.[citation needed]
Viva Zapata! received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics. On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 53% of 17 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10.[6]
Bosley Crowther ofThe New York Times wrote a highly favorable review and commented that the film "... throbs with a rare vitality, and a masterful picture of a nation in revolutionary torment has been got by Director Elia Kazan."[7]Variety, however, criticized the direction and script: "Elia Kazan's direction strives for a personal intimacy but neither he nor the John Steinbeck scripting achieves in enough measure."[citation needed]
SenatorJohn McCain listedViva Zapata! as his favorite film of all time.[8][9]
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Actor | Marlon Brando | Nominated | [10] |
| Best Supporting Actor | Anthony Quinn | Won | ||
| Best Story and Screenplay | John Steinbeck | Nominated | ||
| Best Art Direction – Black-and-White | Art Direction:Lyle R. Wheeler andLeland Fuller; Set Decoration:Thomas Little andClaude E. Carpenter | Nominated | ||
| Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture | Alex North | Nominated | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Film from any Source | Nominated | [11] | |
| Best Foreign Actor | Marlon Brando | Won | ||
| Cannes Film Festival | Grand Prix | Elia Kazan | Nominated | [12] |
| Best Actor | Marlon Brando | Won | ||
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | Elia Kazan | Nominated | [13] |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Mildred Dunnock | Nominated | [14] |
| International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Best New Recording of a Previously Existing Score | Alex North,Jerry Goldsmith, andRoyal Scottish National Orchestra | Nominated | [15] |
The film is recognized byAmerican Film Institute in these lists:
