 | |
List Price: $4.98 | | Label: Bci / Eclipse
Salesrank: 101539
Released: October 7, 2003 |
| Our Price: $4.77 |
| Used Price: $2.87 |
|
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
Early in 1959 Marlon Brando began one of his most unique projects of his career - directing himself in One-Eyed Jacks. Taken from Charles Neider's novel One-Eyed Jacks is a tale of revenge set in Mexico. Stanley Kubrik was originally signed to direct but he and Brando failed to agree on much of anything and he was dismissed four weeks prior to filming. Marlon decided to direct the movie himself. The movie went well over budget. On completion Brando the director had set a new world record by exposing over one million feet of film stock. --- It's the Old West of 1880 and Brando stars as Kid Rio who along with his partner Dad Longworth (Karl Malden) are bank robbers who are caught holding up a Mexican bank. Longworth gets away and allows his partner to get caught and go to jail. When Rio is released five years later he goes out to seek revenge however he is surprised to find his partner is married with a stepdaughter and a sheriff of a town. Complications set in when Rio himself falls in love with the stepdaughter.System Requirements: Running Time 141 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 787364441198 Manufacturer No: 44411-9
One Eyed Jacks Reviews:
Best Western Ever Made! 
2009-03-19 - I have been searching for this movie for years. I could watch it everyday. My wife is really getting tired of my quotes from the movie.
If you get the chance, this is a must see for old western lovers like myself.
My Favorite Western Of All Time
2009-02-01 - I first saw this movie about six years ago. I've watched it many times since. Marlon Brando's portrayal of Kid Rio is simply magnificent. His performance is powerful and compelling. "One-Eyed Jacks" is a classic tale of betrayal and revenge. The cast is outstanding with Karl Malden, Katy Jurado, Slim Pickens, and Pina Pellicer among others. I was especially moved by Pina Pellicer in her role as Louisa, who falls in love with Rio and becomes pregnant with his child. I also liked the unresolved ending, with Brando leaving her with the promise that he would return in the Spring when she would have her baby. With their obvious deep love for each other, there's no doubt in my mind that he would.
I've only scratched the surface in my description of this great film, but I think it's one of the best Westerns of all time.
Brando's great western
2009-01-27 - This is one of the best western's ever made.When OEJ was released it was bashed by critics everywhere.If the film seems a bit cut up,that's because Brando's director's cut as submitted to universal was 4hrs and 30 minutes long.Universal studio editors took Brand's film and cut it to peices.Even cut up and incomplete OEJ stands a Brando's expensive,slowly made,masterpiece,loved by avid western fans,hated by studio execs because of it's price tag,and because the visual perfection and awesome cast of the film,along with the the excellant script,cinematogrophy,and a underplayed but riveting performance by Brando.. resented if not doomed by the boys in the front office,who considered it excessive and over the top for a first time director.Critics were viscious,attacking OEJ as a pretensious,flop.That was in 1960.
Forget that Kubrick was originally hired to direct the film,as well as Elvis to play the Rio Kid.Kubrick dropped OEJ because of script issues,Elvis dropped OEJ because The Rio Kid was a little too provocative for him.Enter Brando..he was willing to direct and star in OEJ.The OEJ project geared up again,Brando brought in some of his buddies,Karl Malden,Slim Pickens,Ben Johnson,Wally Cox and Katy Jurado,to play the various characters found in the rather long story of revenge..next Brando built an exact replica of Monterey city circa 1880.The Monterey set was expensive to build.It set the stage for over-budget spending that plagued the project from day one.Then shooting began,it continued at a turtle's pace.Brando the perfectionist came out,he re-shot scenes up to 20 times,which drew heavily on the already strained budget.The movie industry waited with attentive curiosity.Brando completed the film in August 1959.He edited most of the film himself.The final director's cut was 4hr 23minutes long.Studio Execs called it too long and demanded it be cut to about 2 hours,Brando refused any further editing changes to OEJ saying it was perfect and any changes would change the continuity of the film.The final cut put OEJ at 2hr and 20 minutes.The story line was altered into fragments of the original.It's modified slow pace made the film seem long and often boring.OEJ was the biggest bomb of 1960.The cast,thinking they were working on a classic,were bitter toward the Universal execs who had Brando's Western edited with such relish,the film was at times not recognizable even to some members of the cast.
Actually,OEJ is a great Western,one of the best ever made.How can this be,in 1960 it was a miserable failure?When the word got out that Brando was going to direct a western for universal studios,and it would have a great cast,large budget,and the best technical personnel in the business working behind the scenes,everyone.. execs,reporters,and the public in general awaited the release of OEJ to hopefully see the film and Brando fail.It was released and it failed many of the attacks on the film were based on jealousy for Brando.Brando was a revolutionary actor who redefined acting,in doing so,he had rocked lots of boats.OEJ was the visual proof of"what goes around comes around".The critics of the day hated the film not because OEJ was a bad film so much as it was a chance to bash Brando.His talent urked the best of them.
Roger Ebert called OEJ"certainly one of the best of the genre,with perghaps one of the best scripts ever in action cinema".
Even edited to death,Brando had made a great film.Today it stands as a film ahead of its time."Every frame is created by a master director who learned much from the great directors of his day"
OEJ has one of the best casts ever assembled in cinema.The cinematography is the best,the script is better than the best and Brando gives one of his finest,most complex performances as the Rio Kid.
One of the GREAT Westerns
2008-07-07 - Theatrical Release: March 30, 1961
Director: Marlon Brando
Runtime: 2 hours and 21 minutes
Stars: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Pina Pellicer, Katy Jurado, Slim Pickens, Ben Johnson, Sam Gilman and Larry Duran
DVD INFO: Since "One-Eyed Jacks" is public domain it has been released by numerous dvd companies with varying levels of quality. One version I saw was so bad it was unwatchable, but I can highly recommend two: Digiviw (which is available for a buck at Wal-Mart) and Platinum Disc Corporation (or PDC Home Entertainment). Both of these versions are WIDESCREEN (despite the fact that the Digiview version erroneously says on the back cover that it's full frame) and the picture quality is very good. So don't let the fact that these versions are usually sold for a buck fool you; these are quality dvds worthy of your video library. Other reviewers here at Amazon testify that the Front Row version is very good as well.
THE STORY: Dad Longworth (Malden) literally "takes the money and runs" as he leaves his young partner in crime, Kid Rio (Brando), behind to rot in a Mexican prison. Rio escapes 5 years later with only vengeance on his mind. He finds Dad in Monterey, California, now a respectable town Sheriff with a Mexican wife (Jurado) and step-daughter Louisa (Pina), living the American Dream on the beautiful Pacific coast. The situation is complicated by Rio's teaming up with two lowlife criminals whose only intent is to rob the Monterey bank, as well as Rio's romantic dallyings with Louisa.
"One-Eyed Jacks" was Brando's only stab at directing and his original cut of the film was twice as long (!). I would love to see this director's cut, which HAS been shown on TV, but this 141-minute cut is fine as is.
Not only is "One-Eyed Jacks" one of the best Westerns of all time, it's also one of Brando's top films, along with "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1962), "The Young Lions" and the underrated "The Missouri Breaks," not to mention "Apocalypse Now."
What makes it so great? Numerous things. Brando is at his most captivating here, but the story is entrancing as well, even though it's much more of a slow drama than an action/adventure film. When it comes, however, the action is quick and realistic.
There are numerous themes running through the long story. One of the major ones is the clash of the misfit with conventional society. Since society is composed of a bunch of conformist misfits, the misfit must learn to conform if s/he wants to fit in and succeed. In other words, if you want to 'make it' in conventional society it's necessary to hide your problematic past & flaws and put on a front of respectability. Dad Longworth has figured this out and he's not about to allow Rio to ruin it for him. (I'm not saying I completely agree with this as I don't believe in being fake, just that it's one of the major themes of the story).
I would like to offer a word of defense for Dad Longworth here. Although it was wrong for him to take the money and leave Rio to be captured, one can't help but empathize with him and the reasons why he gave in to the temptation. If he went back for Rio there was a high risk of getting captured or killed. The safest and most promising route was the selfish route. The good thing is that Dad wisely took advantage of this opportunity and made a good life for himself in Monterey. He was obviously sick of his criminal lifestyle and wanted a real life, a real job and real family. He was getting on in years and knew that this may well be his final opportunity, so he took it.
The problem is that one's past always has a way of haunting us, which is another theme of the film; hence, Rio walks back into Dad's life 5 years later and his American dream is seriously threatened. Notice Dad's rage when he whips/beats Rio to an inch of his life; he's doing everything in his power to kill the ugly phantoms of his past, which is why he tries to get Rio hung on false charges later in the story.
Another theme is redemption and how love is tied to any such positive transformation. Both Dad and Rio are criminal scumbags, but both desire redemption and a better life. The love of Dad's wife and the Monterey general populace brings this out in Dad, whereas Louisa's love for Rio slowly changes him. Near the end we plainly see that Rio no longer wants to kill Dad, he doesn't even want to see him; all he wants is to run off with his lady love. If Rio remained the same person he was at the beginning of the story "One-Eyed Jacks" wouldn't be half the film it is.
In addition, Dad's love for Katie, his Mexican wife, is what delivered Katie and Louisa "from the beanfields," as Dad puts it.
Love goes hand-in-hand with loyalty or faithfulness. We see this in Rio's likable Mexican sidekick, Chico (Larry Duran).
One of the best qualities of "Jacks" is that it's refreshingly realistic. There's no goofiness, unbelievable one-liners, over-the-top action or excruciatingly dated aspects.
Speaking of dated, although the opening credits sequence and score are dated and boring, the rest of the film isn't. So don't let this sequence cause you to tune out. The rest of the score (by Hugo Friedhofer) is great.
"One-Eyed Jacks" was the obvious precursor to the Spaghetti Western. For instance, the protagonist is a dyed-in-the-wool "cool" anti-hero (like, say, Eastwood or Bronson). The main difference between "Jacks" and most Spaghetti Westerns, however, is that "Jacks" has a truly worthwhile story wherein numerous gems of wisdom can be gleaned, which can't be said about films like "The Good, the Boring and the Ugly" (don't get me wrong, I love the music and style of that film, it's just that the plodding story and scumbag characters leave much to be desired); also the anti-hero in "One-Eyed Jacks" slowly transforms into a potentially positive member of society.
The film's influence goes well beyond just the Spaghetti Westerns. Take, for instance, Brando's crucifixion-style beating and long restoration. The film "Conan the Barbarian" pretty much ripped-off this entire sequence; Arnold Schwarzenegger even admits to it.
Pina Pellicer does an outstanding job as Rio's girlfriend Louisa (Dad's step-daughter). Although she's definitely good-looking she's too skinny for my personal tastes. Spiritually-speaking, however, she's incredible. Although she commits a foolish error by sleeping with Rio after the festival (she probably had too much to drink -- another error), on a whole she's the epitome of love, virtue and spirituality. Again, this love is the key factor in Rio's positive metamorphosis.
Unfortunately Pina committed suicide three and a half years after "Jacks" was released. Thankfully we have this film to remember her beauty and virtue. She deserves to be honored.
"Jacks" was filmed entirely in California with all the coastal sequences photographed on the Monterey Pennisula, including Pebble Beach. This is one of the only Westerns where you'll see the Pacific Ocean, and it's truly glorious! Other locations include Big Sur and Death Valley.
CONCLUSION: Don't miss out on "One-Eyed Jacks," Brando's only directorial effort. It's truly one of the GREAT Westerns, as well as one of Brando's most captivating performances.
Hopefully they'll release the 5-hour "Director's cut" one day.
One-Eyed Jacks - I love this movie 
2008-05-13 - I watched this movie 20 years later after the original release (1961) at a small town. I'm lucky that I had a chance to watch it in the cinema then. Now I got three DVD versions, i.e. from Vina, Digiview and the last one from D3k. I bought the D3k release from Amazon Marketplace (used item with very good condition (as claimed by the seller) from gohastings (Hastings Entertainment) thru third party (I can't buy it directly) and contrarily I got the very bad DVD condition: I can't watch the movie from chapter 3 onward).
Many movie lovers know that this movie is excellent. Too many reviewers praised the acting of the stars, the story/script, the photography, and the music. So, I will not repeat it again here. Only one thing to be straighten. That's Kid Rio (Marlon Brando) was not released from the jail in Sonora, Mexico 5 years later. But he run away from the jail with his partner Chico Modesto (played by Larry Duran).
For the product of D3k, the correct running time is 141 minutes instead of 117 minutes as stated in the back cover of the DVD. The positive aspect of this product of D3k is that it has English and French subtitles. Other releases has no subtitles at all. Only D3k release complete with subtitles. Picture and sound is not so good, but it's still watchable. Despite the fact that it's in full screen (1.33:1), the picture format is actually in Pan & Scan; too bad transfer since the movie is originally in Panavision. So, widescreen is the best aspect ratio.
I hope that Paramount will release the DVD complete with the subtitles, including English subtitle. So many people waiting, hoping and wanting the official release of this box-office movie in DVD format by Paramount. It doesn't need to release the DVD on the 50 Years Anniversary in 2011! We're not patience.
The DVD: 2.5
The Movie: 10!
