The Night of the Following Day (1969)

Released in 1968, "The Night of the Following Day" is a realistic crime drama featuring Brando as one of four professional criminals who kidnap a girl (a teenage Pamela Franklin) and hold up at a beach house in France. Richard Boone stars as the fiendish member, while Jess Hahn plays a likable loser, the brother of the pathetically drug addicted Rita Moreno.At the time of this picture Brando was 44 years old and never looked better physically -- very trim and blond. Brando didn't start getting fat until the later-70's when he was well into his 50's. In other words, people need to quit envisioning Brando as some fat dude; most of his life he wasn't. Most men in their mid-40's would kill to look as good as Brando did at the this age.BOTTOM LINE: Coming from the mid-60s when realism was fashionable this crime thriller is more of a crime drama, but suspense slowly builds to a compelling final act, which shows that crime doesn't pay, but people are redeemable if they qualify. There's also an unexpected twist that was fresh at the time, but is now eye-rolling.The film was shot during generally cloudy conditions in France and runs a short but sweet 93 minutes.GRADE: B-

This is a noirish film about a kidnapping that goes wrong. I have to assume the filmmakers intended it to be some kind of postmodern and ironic commentary on the genre and the subject matter. I have to assume that because judged on its own merits, The Night of the Following Day is a hideously awkward and amateurish movie.A young girl (Pamela Franklin) flies into France and is almost immediately abducted by a band of 4 seasoned criminals. Wally (Jess Hahn) is a fat loser who's spearheaded the kidnapping as his final grasp at crime's brass ring. Bud (Marlon Brando) is a buff, beatnik hipster who wears a black turtleneck. Vi (Rita Moreno) is Wally's sister, Bud's woman and a junkie. Leer (Richard Boone) is the outsider brought into to the group for this job who quickly proves to be a vile and violent degenerate. They hold up at a French beach house with the girl and try to execute an overly complicated plan to get away with the ransom money from her rich father, all the while avoiding the local cop (Gerard Buhr) who keeps running into the kidnappers by unknowing chance. Things go wrong, there's a double cross and most of what you'd expect in this sort of story happens.I fervently hope these filmmakers and these actors were trying to do something different and unusual with The Night of the Following Day. I would like to think that there was some cultural or artistic point to the creative decisions they made. If there wasn't, then this is one of the most poorly made movies I've ever watched. It's even more graceless and anomalous than the cheap, videotape crap churned out since 1990.There are looooong stretches where there is no dialog and nothing interesting happening on screen. What dialog there is sounds like the first take of a bad improv session. Scenes are staged and shot like co-writer/director Hubert Cornfield's sole previous experience in show business was directing pre-school Christmas plays. There's one scene that goes on for a full minute where the camera is focused on the back of Marlon Brando's head. There's no dialog. Nothing's going on. It's just the back of Brando's head on screen for a full minute. The film ends with an epilogue that feels more like an editing mistake than anything intentional.I'm perplexed by this movie. It appears to be so thoroughly rotten and inexplicably crafted that I wonder if I'm not missing something. Was The Night of the Following Day responding to or referencing something in its own era that I don't appreciate or comprehend? Was the cast and crew all high when they were making this? Did someone kidnap Cornfield's or Brando's children and force them to make this film? I really want there to be some explanation for how dreadful this thing appears to be, because the alternative is just too depressing.

I haven't watched any other films directed by Cornfield, but if they are all blessed with this subtle pacing, I'm going to consider it. The only other adaptation of a Lionel White story I've seen was The Killing, and obviously Kubrick is not easy to equal, meanwhile, this is actually quite well-done. There's an underlying vague tension throughout this, and a feeling of unpredictability that pays off. This is not for those who need something to happen often, or for flicks to move speedily. The atmosphere is pretty good, and the gradual build-up is marvelous. This has rather great acting, Brando and Moreno in particular. The minimal cast works exceptionally well, and aids the sense of isolation. I'm not sure what to think of the ending... I've read several theories, and I suppose in the end, what you want to believe it means is up to the individual. In any case, apart from it, this is an entertaining movie, and worth watching. There is infrequent strong language and disturbing content, if this is seldom terribly graphic. Apart from text features, the DVD comes with trailers for no less than 17(!) other releases, apart from this one(for a total of 18). I recommend this to fans of crime-thrillers and/or those who made it, provided you aren't too squeamish. 7/10

This was a real shocker of a movie. I was very young when I first saw it and never had a clue as to the violence and psychological drama that would occur! This is a definite must see movie! Until I read the cast names, I had no idea that Rita Moreno had a part in it. Marlon Brando is a sympathetic character for quite some time. Poor Pamela, the one with no name, makes such a good victim. Unfortunately, the violence really keeps this from children watching; although nowadays, it wouldn't be considered that violent or disturbing by the jaded eyes of our new generation or the generation before! It would be great to know the background of this movie and the making of it! Pamela Franklin either liked the "victim" roles or they were the ones that were available to her at the time. ANOTHER interesting fact that I and many others would like to know! Who directed her choices? Who was her mentor? Where were her Parents? This is a DVD that I would certainly love to purchase unless it is only on VHS at this time.