Murtaza Ali Before Clint Eastwood, there was Sam Peckinpah. Before Peckinpah, there was Sergio Leone. But before Leone there was Marlon Brando and One- Eyed Jacks. It is impossible to think of Unforgiven, The Wild Bunch, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, or even The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance without One-Eyed Jacks. Here is a film which Peckinpah couldn't realize and one that Kubrick abandoned. It was Brando's destiny to produce, direct and act in it. The result was a commercial disaster. It was also in many ways the end of a remarkable phase in Brando's acting career. For anyone interested in studying his stellar career, it is essential to divide it in two phases i.e. career before and career after One-Eyed Jacks. After the failure of the film, Brando ceased to be the actor he once was. The fascination for cinematic art got replaced by cynicism and although he would go on to deliver unforgettable performances in movies like The Godfather, Last Tango in Paris and Queimada, his charming innocent side would permanently be lost. In order to truly appreciate the complexity of One-Eyed Jacks one will probably have to watch at least a dozen other Westerns. Here is a film that marks a departure from the tenets and values established by the Classic Westerns of John Ford and Howard Hawks. The characters here aren't necessarily good or bad and perhaps that's what makes them more relatable. Take the case of Brando's Rio who is arguably one of the genre's foremost anti-heroes. He isn't beyond cheating women or shooting his adversary in his back and yet he has certain heroic qualities. He is willing to take the bullet for his partner. Similarly, Dad Longworth isn't all evil. He has his own share of virtues unlike the Classic Western villains.On a whole, One-Eyed Jacks is one of the greatest Westerns ever made. The performances are topnotch: be it Brando, Karl Malden, Ben Johnson, Katy Jurado, or even Slim Pickens. Groundbreaking and far ahead of its time, One-Eyed Jacks is a testament to Brando's commitment to the cinematic artform before he suffered from disillusionment. Thanks to the brilliant restoration supervised by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, One-Eyed Jacks looks just as refreshing today as it would have looked in the good old days of VistaVision. If you are a Western fan or appreciate good cinema, here is a film that you just cannot afford to miss.For more on the world of cinema, please visit my film site "A Potpourri of Vestiges".

SimonJack Other reviews give good background on the making of "One Eyed Jacks." And, others discuss the plot and cast in detail. Judging from the problems with Marlon Brando's directing, it's clear to see why he never directed another film. I was curious why IMDb didn't have the usual budget and box office figures for "Jacks" that it has for most films. According to the Turner Classic Movies Web site, this film ran almost four times over its $1.6 million budget. It finished with a cost of $6 million. The box office was just $4.3 million.This is a good Western, with a different flair that builds audience empathy for Brando's character, Rio. Some critics say this is some sort of a "breakthrough" or turning point in Westerns. The claim is that the audience identifies with one of the bad guys. Judging from some of the reviews, they may be right – at least for some. As a viewer, I naturally sympathized with Rio for his betrayal by Dad Longworth, played by Karl Malden. At the same time, I clearly understood Rio's capture and imprisonment as just punishment for a criminal. Rio's escape and search for vengeance against Dad is a familiar plot in movies of various genres. But, his redemption toward the end, albeit for the sake of his love for Louisa (played by Pina Pellicer), is a nice twist. I think Karl Malden turns in the best acting in this movie. He nails his character hands down, with a variety of mood swings. He is pleasing and sweet, affable and friendly, angry and determined, matter of fact and all business. It's not a coincidence that Malden won an Oscar and was nominated for another (and perhaps should have been one or two more times). Malden was an excellent actor, who could play a variety of roles with great depth. He won his Oscar for best supporting actor in another film with Brando – "A Streetcar Named Desire." Malden and Brando also starred together in "On the Waterfront," in which Brando earned his first of two Oscars as best actor. Malden was nominated for best supporting actor in that film, as were two other stars – Lee J. Cobb and Rod Steiger. "Waterfront" had three of the five nominees that year for supporting actor, and it went to Edmond O'Brien, for his role in "The Barefoot Contessa."A couple of the weak aspects of this film were in Rio's character and the story. In the beginning, we clearly see that Rio is a Romeo. The difference between him, Dad and other gang members, is that Rio has taste and manners. While the others go for the bar girls and prostitutes, Rio pursues "good" girls. But, clearly, with the same purpose in mind. So, with that and even after five years in prison, it's a stretch to have Rio fall in love now. Especially with Dad's "new" stepdaughter, Louisa. I think the film was heavy in its efforts to build sympathy for Rio, by the number of times he was wrongly blamed or punished for something. Pellicer was a leading actress from Mexico. She had a promising career ahead of her, but ended it at age 30 when she committed suicide in 1964. Slim Pickens, Katy Jurado, Ben Johnson and Larry Duran were all very good in their roles. The scenery and cinematography were excellent. And, the technical aspects were all very good – even with a couple of noticeable jumps or skips in film cutting. The final editors must have had a real chore cutting back from the 5 ½-hours of film Brando had edited.This is a very good Western that many should find entertaining. But I can't agree with those who think it is the best Western ever. I can only think that they haven't seen some very great Westerns. "One Eyed Jacks" is not in the top rung of my list, nor is it there in other lists I've seen. Although some spaghetti Westerns were quite good and entertaining, I don't include them among the best of Westerns, primarily for the acting and stories. Among the Westerns that are likely to be found on most lists of the best of all time, are the following. "The Searchers" of 1956, "Stagecoach" of 1939, "Shane" of 1953, "Winchester 73" of 1950, "Bend of the River" of 1952, "Hombre" of 1967, "True Grit" of 1969, "The Oxbow Incident" of 1943, "The Cowboys" of 1972, "Gunfight at the OK Coral" of 1957, "High Noon" of 1952, "The Naked Spur" of 1973, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" of 1962, "The Big Country" of 1958, "Will Penny" of 1968, "Destry Rides Again" of 1939, "The Last Train from Gun Hill" of 1959, "Wagon Master" of 1950, "My Darling Clementine" of 1946, "Rio Bravo" of 1959, "Lonesome Dove" of 1989, "Open Range" of 2003, and "Dances with Wolves" of 1990. James Stewart, John Wayne, Charlton Heston and Randolph Scott were in a number of other Westerns that rank among the best. Several other stars were in one or more outstanding Westerns. And, as for the best film about vengeance, revenge and reform, I recommend movie buffs to check out "Nevada Smith" of 1966. Steve McQueen is outstanding in his role. And, for real coincidence, a supporting actor in that one is Karl Malden. I wonder if it might not be a Malden touch that brings greatness to many films. Or at least helps bring out the best of others in their roles.

shotokan-cat A seriously underrated film, Marlon Brando again brings his characteristic masculine energy to the screen with superb acting, playing the part of a bank robber named Rio - another character which stirs the mind into a state of cognitive dissonance, an anti-hero blurring the line between the good and the bad. The supporting actors also give a great performance, and the cinematography is notably good. Directed by Brando himself, the plot presents a variety of characters who have much more depth than they may at first seem to possess. It is a brilliant example of a Western, which not only embraces the genre but excels within it's medium. Sometimes perhaps the pacing could have been better thought out, but overall this is a film that is definitely worth watching.

ma-cortes In Sonora, Mexico in 1880 , Rio (Marlon Brando , the character of Rio originally was based on Billy the Kid), his pal Dad Longworth (Karl Malden) and a third man, Doc (Hank Worden) are robbing a bank. As the bandits escape from the town with a loot . The bandits flee but the Mexican mounted police trail the bunch to the mountains . The mounted police follow and trap the bandits atop a desert hill (Death Valley that bears remarkable resemblance to Almeria desert where were filmed lots of Spaghetti) , with one of their horses shot . Their only option is for one of them to ride their single horse to a little post down the canyon and return with two fresh mounts . But Dad double-crosses him and flees . Rio is detained and locked in Sonora Prison but five years later he breaks out . Then Rio seeks vengeance against his former friend Dad who lives now as a sheriff married to a Mexican woman (Katy Jurado) and an adopted daughter (Pina Pellicer who sadly committed suicide a few years later) .Riveting Western with psychological tones is stunningly performed , richly photographed and well directed , though overlong . Marlon Brando took over the reigns of filmmaking by first and only time . Very good performances from main duo : Brando as an obstinate revenger and Karl Malden who steals the show as his double-dealing former partner . Superb support interpretations from Ben Johnson , Timothy Carey , and Slim Pickens , Katy Jurado , both of whom a few years later played as an intimate couple in ¨Pat Garret and Billy the Kid¨. Lively and adequate musical score by Hugo Friedhofer . Striking cinematography by Charles Lang , being Paramount's last release in VistaVision and filmed on location in California , the following places : Cypress Point, Pebble Beach,Death Valley National Park, Monterey Peninsula,Pebble Beach, Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, Seventeen Mile Drive, Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California, USA.Marlon Brando's inexperience behind the camera was obvious on set , he took the direction from Stanley Kubrick, who originally was slated to direct the film. He shot six times the amount of footage normally used for a film at the time , he was indecisive in his only filmmaking effort and ran extremely overlong in getting the film finished , in spite of the problems , the film resulted to be visually striking and with interesting character study . Marlon Brando's first cut of the film was allegedly five hours long. He was reportedly unhappy with the final product, despite its box-office success , Paramount eventually took the film away from him and re-cut it as Marlon Brando's original cut of the movie was over five hours long . Rating : Better than average despite troubles during filming and the result is a terrific outing in this Western genre .