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{{short description|1952 film by Elia Kazan}}
{{For-multi|the 7 Year Bitch album|¡Viva Zapata!{{!}}''¡Viva Zapata!''|the board game|Viva Zapata! (game){{!}}''Viva Zapata!'' (game)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Viva Zapata!
| image          = Viva Zapata!.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Elia Kazan]]
| producer       = [[Darryl F. Zanuck]]
| writer         = [[John Steinbeck]]
| starring       = [[Marlon Brando]]<br />[[Jean Peters]]<br />[[Anthony Quinn]]
| music          = [[Alex North]]
| cinematography = [[Joseph MacDonald (cinematographer)|Joseph MacDonald]]
| editing        = [[Barbara McLean]]
| distributor    = [[20th Century-Fox]]
| released       = {{Film date|1952|2|13}}
| runtime        = 113 minutes<ref>{{cite web |title=Viva Zapata! |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/50703 |website=catalog.afi.com |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=14 January 2025}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $1.8 million<ref>{{cite book| last=Solomon| first=Aubrey| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gRk4ZnFyQrAC&q=robe| date=January 1, 1988| title=Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History| location=Lanham, Maryland| publisher=Scarecrow Press| page=247| isbn=978-0-8108-4244-1|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
| gross          = $1.9 million {{small|(US rentals)}}<ref>'Top Box-Office Hits of 1952', ''Variety'', January 7, 1953</ref>

}}
'''''Viva Zapata!''''' is a 1952 American [[Biographical film|biographical]] [[Western (genre)|Western film]] directed by [[Elia Kazan]], dramatizing the life of [[Mexican Revolution|Mexican revolution]]ary [[Emiliano Zapata]] from his [[peasant]] upbringing through his rise to power in the early 1900s and his death in 1919. It stars [[Marlon Brando]] as the title character, and features [[Jean Peters]] as his wife Josefa and [[Anthony Quinn]] as his brother [[Eufemio Zapata|Eufemio]]. The screenplay was written by [[John Steinbeck]], using Edgcumb Pinchon's 1941 book ''Zapata the Unconquerable'' as a guide.

To make the film as authentic as possible, Kazan and producer [[Darryl 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 of [[Porfirio Díaz]]. Kazan was especially impressed with the [[Agustín Casasola]] collection of photographs, and he attempted to duplicate their visual style in the film. Kazan also acknowledged the influence of [[Roberto Rossellini]]'s ''[[Paisan]]'' (1946).<ref>{{cite book| first=Tony| last=Thomas| title=The Films of Marlon Brando| page=[https://archive.org/details/filmsofmarlonbra0000thom_i8p6/page/47 47]| publisher=Citidel Press| date=November 6, 1975| edition=second| isbn=978-0806504810| url=https://archive.org/details/filmsofmarlonbra0000thom_i8p6/page/47}}</ref>

The film was released by [[20th Century Fox]] on February 13, 1952. It received generally positive reviews from critics and was nominated for five [[Academy Award|Academy Awards]], with Anthony Quinn winning for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]].

==Plot==
[[Emiliano Zapata]] is part of a delegation sent to complain about injustices to corrupt longtime president [[Porfirio Díaz]], but Díaz dismisses their concerns, driving Zapata to open rebellion, along with his brother [[Eufemio Zapata|Eufemio]]. He unites with [[Pancho Villa]] under the leadership of naive reformer [[Francisco 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 the ''[[Tenant farmer|campesinos]]'' 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 general [[Victoriano Huerta]]. Huerta first takes Madero captive and [[Ten Tragic Days|then 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 the ''campesinos'' does not end. Rumors begin that Zapata never died, but is instead continuing to fight from the hills, feeding the ''campesinos'' a sense of hope. As several scenes suggest, over the years, the ''campesinos'' have learned to lead themselves rather than looking to others to lead them.

==Cast==
[[File:Anthony Quinn and Marlon Brando in ¡Viva Zapata! (1952) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Anthony Quinn]] as [[Eufemio Zapata]] (standing), and [[Marlon Brando]] as [[Emiliano Zapata]] in a publicity photo for the film]]
{{castlist|
* [[Marlon Brando]] as [[Emiliano Zapata]]
* [[Jean Peters]] as Josefa Zapata, his wife
* [[Anthony Quinn]] as [[Eufemio Zapata]]
* [[Joseph Wiseman]] as Fernando Aguirre
* [[Arnold Moss]] as Don Nacio
* [[Alan Reed]] as [[Pancho Villa]]
* [[Margo (actress)|Margo]] as Soldadera
* Harold Gordon as [[Francisco Ignacio Madero]]
* Lou Gilbert as Pablo
* [[Frank Silvera]] as [[Victoriano Huerta]]
* Florenz Ames as Señor Espejo
* [[Richard Garrick]] as Old General
* [[Fay Roope]] as [[Porfirio Díaz]]
* [[Mildred Dunnock]] as Señora Espejo
;Uncredited
* [[Henry Silva]] as Hernández
* [[Frank de Kova]] as Colonel Guajardo
* [[Will Kuluva]] as Lazaro
* [[Pedro Regas]] as Innocente
* [[Ross Bagdasarian Sr.|Ross Bagdasarian]] as Officer
* [[Abner Biberman]] as Captain
}}
==Production==
Filming took place in locations around the American Southwest, including [[Durango, Colorado]], [[Roma, Texas]], [[San Ygnacio, Texas]] in [[Zapata County]], and [[New Mexico]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Viva Zapata! |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/50703 |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]}}</ref>

The screenplay was written by [[John Steinbeck]] based on Edgcomb Pinchon's 1941 book ''Zapata the Unconquerable''. Steinbeck's screenplay has been published as a book along with a narrative of Zapata's life that Steinbeck also wrote.<ref name=":0" />

[[Barbara Leaming]] writes in her biography of [[Marilyn Monroe]] that Monroe tried to obtain a part in the film, but failed, presumably because of [[Darryl F. Zanuck]]'s lack of faith in her ability, both as an actress and as a box-office draw.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

==Reception==
''Viva Zapata!'' received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics. {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|53|6.1|17|ref=yes|access-date=April 3, 2025}}

[[Bosley Crowther]] of ''[[The 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."<ref name="bosley">{{cite news| title=THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; Marlon Brando Plays Mexican Rebel Leader in 'Viva Zapata!' New Feature at the Rivoli| url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9402E6D6133CE53ABC4053DFB4668389649EDE&partner=Rotten%20Tomatoes| last=Crowther| first=Bosley| newspaper=The New York Times| date=February 8, 1952|url-access=subscription }}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|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|date=August 2022}}

Senator [[John McCain]] listed ''Viva Zapata!'' as his favorite film of all time.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/faq| title=FAQ - United States Senator John McCain| first=John| last=McCain| website=www.mccain.senate.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOW35_YE9Os |title=Four Times Steve Carell Crushed It As a Correspondent |date=2024-11-28 |work=The Daily Show |access-date=2025-06-10 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

=== Awards and nominations ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[25th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Marlon Brando]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref name="Oscars1953">{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1953 |title=The 25th Academy Awards (1953) Nominees and Winners |access-date=August 20, 2011 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706093830/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/25th-winners.html |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[Anthony Quinn]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Story and Screenplay]]
| [[John Steinbeck]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction – Black-and-White]]
| Art Direction: [[Lyle R. Wheeler]] and [[Leland Fuller]]; <br> Set Decoration: [[Thomas Little]] and [[Claude E. Carpenter]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]]
| [[Alex North]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[6th British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|Best Film from any Source]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1953/film |title=BAFTA Awards: Film in 1953 |publisher=[[British Academy Film Awards]] |access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref>
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Foreign Actor]]
| Marlon Brando
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[1952 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes Film Festival]]
| [[Palme d'Or|Grand Prix]]
| [[Elia Kazan]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/viva-zapata/ |title=Viva Zapata! |publisher=[[Cannes Film Festival]] |access-date=January 20, 2009}}</ref>
|-
| [[Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| Marlon Brando
| {{won}}
|-
| [[5th Directors Guild of America Awards|Directors Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures]]
| Elia Kazan
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1950s/1952.aspx?value=1952 |title=5th Annual DGA Awards |publisher=[[Directors Guild of America Awards]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[10th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture]]
| [[Mildred Dunnock]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/viva-zapata/ |title=Viva Zapata! |publisher=[[Golden Globe Awards]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[International Film Music Critics Association#IFMCA Awards|International Film Music Critics Association Awards]]
| [[International Film Music Critics Association Award for Best New Archival Release of an Existing Score – Re-Release or Re-Recording|Best New Recording of a Previously Existing Score]]
| Alex North, [[Jerry Goldsmith]], and [[Royal Scottish National Orchestra]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://filmmusiccritics.org/awards-archive/1998-fmcj-awards/ |title=1998 FMCJ Awards |publisher=[[International Film Music Critics Association]] |date=1999 |access-date=May 1, 2020}}</ref>
|}

===Honors===
The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2005: [[AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores]] – Nominated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores250.pdf |title= AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees |access-date=2016-08-06}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Viva Zapata! (1952 film)}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0045296|title=Viva Zapata!}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=94890|title=Viva Zapata}}
* {{AFI film|50703}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|viva_zapata}}
* [https://www.msu.edu/~puhek/classes/iss325/Viva-Zapata.html ''Viva Zapata''] detailed description of the plot
* {{YouTube|sAc5p68U6oI|''Viva Zapata'' film trailer}}

{{Elia Kazan}}
{{Steinbeck}}
{{Darryl F. Zanuck}}
{{Portal bar|Mexico|United States|Film|1950s}}
[[Category:1952 films]]
[[Category:1952 Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:1950s action drama films]]
[[Category:1950s American films]]
[[Category:1950s biographical drama films]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
[[Category:American action drama films]]
[[Category:American biographical drama films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:Biographical action films]]
[[Category:Biographical films about rebels]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Porfirio Díaz]]
[[Category:English-language action drama films]]
[[Category:English-language biographical drama films]]
[[Category:English-language Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:Films about coups d'état]]
[[Category:Films about Emiliano Zapata]]
[[Category:Films about Pancho Villa]]
[[Category:Films directed by Elia Kazan]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award–winning performance]]
[[Category:Films produced by Darryl F. Zanuck]]
[[Category:Films scored by Alex North]]
[[Category:Films shot in Colorado]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by John Steinbeck]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American action films]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American drama films]]
[[Category:Mexican Revolution films]]