371. One Eyed Jacks (1961)

Directed By Marlon Brando

Synopsis

A gang composed of Marlon Brando, Karl Malden and Ensign Smith rob a bank. While enjoying the fruits of their labour the federales come after them and Ensign Smith gets shot to hell. Malden and Brando take a stand, and Brando sends Malden to get fresh horses. Does he? Does he bollocks. After coming out of prison Brando wants to take revenge, he meets Malden and plans, he manages to impregnate his step-daughter who falls in love with him and eventually he gets arrested by Malden who is now a Sheriff. He escapes, there's a shoot out, Marlon Brando and impregnated lady are happy ever after... or are they?

Review

There is definitely something happening in the world of Westerns, in this case we have Marlon Brando very much taking method acting to the Western scenery. If you add to this the convention braking idea of having a Western shot next to the sea, there is something really new here. The dialogue is natural, the acting is great and the idea of Western as b-movie is completely out the window.

This is, unfortunately, the only film directed by Brando, but it is indeed a great one. The cinematography is amazing, and even if the plot is completely secondary and quite predictable the acting keeps it together through the 2 hours something of it.

In fact the film is completely made by the characters and dialogue, each main character is so multi-faceted that they become real riddles, your opinion on Brandon and Malden change throughout the film, also because they are both so adept at transmitting good and evil on the screen that they manage to do both equally convincingly in the space of 5 minutes. Great film.

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

The movie had very little resemblance to the Neider novel, and what remains has much more resonance with history than fiction. At various times, the two credited screenwriters and the uncredited Peckinpah have claimed (or had claimed for them) a majority of the responsibility for the film, and Karl Malden has answered the query about who really wrote the story: "There is one answer to your question — Marlon Brando, a genius in our time."

The whole film is here!

Trailer: