One-Eyed Jacks

The only film directed by Marlon Brando is a western like no other, combining the mythological scope of that most American of genres with the searing naturalism of a performance by Brando, capturing a rugged coastal and desert landscapes in gorgeous widescreen; Technicolor images; and eliciting from his fellow actors nuanced depictions of conflicted characters. Based on an adaptation of Charles Neider’s novel (inspired by the life of Billy the Kid), the film is the last that Paramount shot in VistaVision. Though the production was overwhelmed by its director’s perfectionism and plagued by setbacks and studio reediting, One-Eyed Jacks stands as one of Brando’s great achievements, thanks above all to his tortured turn as Rio, a bank robber bent on revenge against his former partner in crime. Brooding and romantic, Rio is the last and perhaps the most tender of the iconic outsiders that the great actor imbued with such intensity throughout his career.