I also saw this when I was in my "tender" years(pre 24). It made a lasting impression on me. A man who was a looser came back to his roots to not only pay homage to them but too use them to make something of what he had left of his existence. There were the vultures that were more than ready to pick the meat off his flesh. With his guard let down he was humiliated. The worst thing in the world: To be humiliated.
He tried to "make amends." Not enough. His previous life came into play. Note the hat that he wore at the beginning of the movie. Still it was not enough. His anger was slow to arise.
Even at the last of the movie the angst was subdued. He called gunfire justice only with the utmost reluctance. This was the ultimate strength of the movie.
It truly was one of Brando's finest!
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