Why Marlon Brando Never Travelled Without This Film
Marlon Brando’s travel routine included a surprising ritual: he always packed a particular 1990 film, watching it repeatedly wherever he went.
Most people have a favourite item they simply can’t leave behind when heading out—perhaps a cherished trinket or a lucky pen. For Marlon Brando, however, the essential travel companion was rather more unusual: a VHS tape of a 1990 crime drama. Known for his eccentricities both on and off set, Brando’s quirks extended well beyond his infamous on-screen antics and strong opinions. Once home video became widely available, he took full advantage, ensuring he could revisit a certain film at any time, no matter where he found himself.
According to his son Christian, Brando was a habitual re-watcher.
“He would watch films over and over again.”
The film in question? Sidney Lumet’s Q & A, a somewhat overlooked police thriller from the early nineties. It’s not the sort of title one might expect to be a constant source of comfort, but for Brando, it was indispensable.
The Unlikely Choice: Q & A
Q & A stars Nick Nolte, who became a close friend of Brando’s after being introduced by Sean Penn. Their friendship blossomed into daily conversations, with the pair discussing a wide range of topics. Nolte recalled,
“We’d talk every day, for quite some time. We’d talk of everything. I mean, there wasn’t anything the guy wasn’t fascinated by.”
Among their many discussions, the film itself often came up, with Brando showing a particular fascination for Nolte’s performance.
Nolte explained that Brando was especially curious about the nuances of his role, asking detailed questions about the character’s mannerisms and the film’s more provocative scenes.
“He just wanted to know how I did that. Because there was no indication that I could do a New Yorker type of character, and the racism, and the homosexuality of the transvestites, and reaching down and grabbing things down there. ’Did you really reach down?’ ’Yeah’,”
Nolte recounted. Brando’s interest in the film was clearly more than casual; he sought to understand every layer of the performance.
Comfort in Repetition
For some, the idea of repeatedly watching a gritty police drama might seem odd, especially when compared to the comfort of a light-hearted comedy or a classic romance. Yet, for Brando, Q & A offered a sense of familiarity and perhaps even solace. There’s something to be said for returning to a world that feels both challenging and reassuring, especially for someone as complex as Brando.
Despite its relative obscurity, the film was well received upon release. Roger Ebert, for instance, awarded it three-and-a-half stars out of four, noting,
“It is fascinating the way this movie works so well as a police thriller on one level, while on other levels it probes feelings we may keep secret even from ourselves.”
It’s a film that delves into difficult themes—race, identity, and morality—making Brando’s attachment to it all the more intriguing.
An Unconventional Favourite
Brando’s devotion to Q & A might seem peculiar, but it speaks to his singular tastes and the comfort he found in the unexpected. Rather than reaching for the obvious crowd-pleasers, he gravitated towards a film that challenged and engaged him, even seeking out insights from Nolte himself. For Brando, the ritual of rewatching was less about escapism and more about exploring the depths of a story that resonated with him in ways only he could fully appreciate.