You don't need much of a story-line or other talented cast members if you cast Marlon Brando in a movie. This movie is all about his charisma, screen presence, marvelous expressions, that awesome leather jacket & bike gangs. Honestly, I came across this movie while I was searching for biker's leather jacket. When I found out Marlon was the one who set its trend, I fell in love with that jacket even more. Lets get to the movie. Mary Murphy did really good with her character. Others were good too. You cannot expect much from a 1953 movie. The attitude shown by Johnny towards women may not be relevant in this era. But that is what defined rowdy bikers in that era & Brando captures the essence of it with ease. The smile in the last scene says it all :)P.S. This movie is for fans of Brando & those who like the bike gangs & that iconic leather jacket.

Iconic 1950's Movie that was Influential and Infuriated "Straights" of the Era. Considered Subversive, Communistic, and downright Trash, the Film was a Big Youth Hit and the rest as They say is "History".This is one of those Films that MUST be Viewed in Historical Context.There was Nothing quite Like it at the Time but there sure was a lot Like it After. Marlon Brando made His Mark with the Brooding "Johnny", the Leader of the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club. The Film Thrust Him on the American Public Things would Never be the Same.A Good Supporting Cast in some Difficult Roles also adds to the Film's Power. Lee Marvin as "Chino" a Rival Biker and Mary Murphy as the Cute but Perky Townie are both Fitting and Fine. The Story, taken from a Real Life Event, Shows a bit of Strain as it Plays out, sometimes in Brutal Fashion, the Town's Vigilante Leaders Taking the Law into Their Own Hands with Tragic Results.Overall, the Movie might Seem Dated, but Not that Much. The Be-Bop Lingo and Music are quite Realistic and Reflective, as are the Clothes and the Attitudes. The Opening Shot of the Vacant Highway Morphing into the oncoming Bikes is quite Visceral and Stunning.Most of the Movie is Realistic and is a Rewarding Time-Capsule that is Must Viewing for Film Buffs and Cultural Historians.Note...This was a certain influence on Elvis Presley and James Dean.

Yeah, The Wild One (1953) is schlock, but it's premium schlock and clearly much too technically competent for the many negative reviews I have seen for it. I tuned into Turner Classic Movies expecting pure camp with only Brando to lend precious little substance, only to be surprised at how moved I was at the conclusion eighty minutes later. Not that I am suggesting this is an unjustly regarded masterwork; like I said, it is schlock and often too cheesy to take seriously. Yet, in spite of the relatively tame action on screen and the cheesy frat boy antics of the bikers, there's still something going on underneath the surface, a palpable sense of frustration and alienation.The Wild One hits on the tyranny of conformity in 1950s America and the way the younger generation fears a life that is painfully ordinary and staid. This is best illustrated in Kathie, who makes it clear that the idea of settling down and then dying in the same boring town is terrifying for her; there's a rebellious, non-conformist streak in her, most obvious when she offers herself to Johnny on the outskirts of the town, and yet this scene also shows she's only willing to go that far if he continues with his rouse of forcing himself on her. She won't break away from the conformity of the town unless a man takes her away from it all. She craves the free life Johnny seems to possess.And yet, even Johnny is a lost soul, who has no clue what he really wants at all. We're given little of his past, aside from the implication that he had an abusive childhood. While in no way the best performance of Brando's career, it is a fine one, one which elevates the film. He utilizes facial expression and body language to communicate all the isolation and adolescent confusion that the schlock dialogue cannot fully deliver. In the end, Johnny is still an enigma, though judging from his final moment with Kathie, he does seem to be more at peace with himself. You really do have to wonder where he'll be going after this, if he's still just going to wander forever. And what of Kathie? Will she ever free herself from that sad little county?These questions lend such a poignancy to the ending, almost making you forget how cheesy everything else was before. But I like the lack of absolute resolution. It gives those star cross'd lovers an afterlife that few B-movie characters enjoy.

The most suitable way to describe 'The Wild One' is that it is the "popcorn movie of the 50s". This is one of those films which you can watch repeatedly and be entertained each and every time. It has characters and dialogs worthy and memorable enough of becoming a part of pop culture, and so even after many years of the film's release, I think people must've said 'Hey look, they're showing The Wild One! You remember Johnny… and Kathy?' whenever the movie was shown on television. You can attribute the adjective 'cool' to 'The Wild One', which is surprising because there aren't many old films a person today would term 'cool'.The film is also important because it is a manifestation of the changing carefree rebellious and reckless attitudes of the young generation in the 50s, and so some of the modern viewers might be taken aback watching some of the scenes (such as one in which a biker kids around with the barman by talking in a beatnik accent) in an old black and white film like this. Although very mild in comparison to many of the films of this age, for a 50s movie, The Wild One is pretty bad-ass.When 'The Wild One' begins, we see a cautionary message of the controversial event we are about to witness. There was frankly no need for any such message, and the film could have started with Brando's narration directly as the presence of an explicitly stated warning makes 'The Wild One' seem for a moment like the ridiculous Ed Wood film 'Plan 9 From Outer Space' (the laughably bad opening sequence in Plan 9 has a man warning us about the event we are about to witness). There are chances the censor board in those days compelled the director Laslo Benedik to include this 'do not try this at home' like warning so as to forestall any imitation of the acts seen in the movie.After the message disappears, we see many bikes driving down the highway roads, as a bunch of outlaw bikers led by Johnny (played by Brando) make their way to a motorcycle race and steal the second prize trophy. The group is perennially at loggerheads with the authority and find themselves just drifting from one place to another without any sense of direction. When they enter a small town called Wrightsville, the bikers decide to explore and exploit the town facilities by creating a ruckus and disturbing peace. The small town Chief Harry Bleaker (played by Robert Keith) is ineffective in controlling the situation of the bikers, and there is growing agitation amongst some of the townsmen who cannot stand the presence of the unruly bikers. There is a romantic angle that blooms between Johnny and Harry's beautiful demure daughter Kathie (played by Mary Murphy). The Wild One proves that when you have actors of superior caliber and a well intentioned script, you can make a seemingly light-weight subject matter seem important, as if you are there to make a point. The 80s too had films with similar themes but many faltered in their execution, and so we don't talk much about such films very seriously today, labeling them 'cheesy'. The themes explored in The Wild One is not that light- weight actually, and I was quite impressed with the social commentary I could perceive in the movie – we see how direction-less the young rebels were, hanging together without understanding about each other and priding themselves in wrongfully obtaining things they didn't really earn; we also hear about the ambitions of the small-town women, their secret urge to escape but reluctance in leaving. Laslo Benedik allows us to listen to the different groups and their attitudes towards a particular event; for example, when Johnny and rival biker group leader Chino come to blows, the camera cuts to different groups which includes a) Kathie who is concerned about Johnny b) townsmen who condemn the bikers c) elder Jimmy who comments slightingly about outlaw life and d) the bikers themselves who cheer and incite their fighting leaders. Hence the film in no way glorifies any of the violence or behavior of the bikers, but it only makes an attempt to understand (and make us understand) their lifestyle. Marlon Brando shows why the technique of method has such relevance in cinema and theater – method when done rigorously and meticulously gives a performance that settles perfectly with the rest of the picture. We hence watch a performance, however strong, becoming a part of the film rather than forming a separate identity. The latter happens with actors like Meryl Streep whose performances are movies in themselves, and so we experience two movies running simultaneously, one being the film itself and the second being the creation of Streep's character's life. Before I get bashed, let me clarify that I am equally excited about Streep films and the statement is just to point out how different acting approaches can create different experiences. What Brando does is he injects the persona of the character he is playing in him and then works out his role, and so we always get a variety of memorable characters from him, whether it is Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, or Don Corleone in The Godfather Part 1, or Terry Malloy in On The Waterfront. Mary Murphy plays Johnny's girl, and she is both beautiful and expressive.One ends up loving something about The Wild One, whether it is Brando's Johnny and his characteristics or mannerisms or wardrobe (loved how he wore that cap), or the biker's attire (jacket and jeans), or the action or the love story. But there isn't one thing to really hate about the film. This is perhaps why the film had become a big part of pop culture and is still seen as one of Brando's most known movies.