Born to be Mild
While unquestionably dated and a bit silly at times ("you hip to my rebop daddy-o, or are you a square?"), the heart and center of this movie, the young charismatic Marlon Brando is what keeps you coming back. Based on a true event, it nevertheless seems mighty improbable that these swing dancing leather clad delinquents could ever terrorize even the 'squarest of squarejohn' townsfolk. Brando plays the prototypical 'rebel with a heart' whose savage nature is calmed by the love of a 'good woman'. However Brando reaches beyond the stereotype to show us a rebel who is frankly bored to death with rebellion, but too proud and stubborn to see any other way of escape. He stands head and shoulders above everyone else in the movie and declares his star power with a sneer and a shrug and a mumbled "What've you got?" in answer to a passing remark "What are you rebelling against, Johnny". A young Lee Marvin also gives a decent performance as one of the gang.