One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

One-Eyed Jacks
Starring: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Slim Pickens
Director: Marlon Brando
Writers: Charles Neider (novel), Guy Trosper, Calder Willingham
Genre: Western
Year: 1961
My rating: 

The story behind ONE-EYED JACKS appears to have been almost as interesting as the plot which unfolds on the screen. Rod "The Twilight Zone" Serling wrote a rejected treatment of the book this film was based on. The original director attached to the project was none other than a young Stanley Kubrick. Eventually, the star and director ended up being the same person -- Marlon Brando. The film reunited him with co-star Karl Malden; the pair having had worked together before in the classic ON THE WATERFRONT.

So dark is this story, that even Slim Pickens is playing a manipulative bastard with few redeeming characteristics. ONE-EYED JACKS is basically a story of betrayal -- a topic it explores right from the film's opening set piece. Trapped, and with only one person able to escape, Karl Malden's character promises to seek help quickly and return to save Marlon Brando from the law. Instead he takes their stolen loot and makes a run for it.

Brando spends the next five years in prison because of this and most of that time he broods over his betrayal at the hands of a man he nicknamed "Dad". No doubt the fact that Brando himself manipulated the game of chance which sent Malden off as the one to find help ate away at him. Once escaping prison, he quickly meets up with another band of outlaws. But their plans of more bank heists are secondary. Brando is more interested in revenge. He quickly catches up with Malden, but instead of exacting his vengeance quickly, he picks a more protracted method. Favoring to pretend there are no hard feelings, he bides his time in order to heighten his former partner's suffering.

It's almost wearying to watch this unfold. Brando cheerfully proclaims that he bears no malice, but covertly plans his revenge. Malden swears he trusts Brando, but has machinations of his own. The audience must simply watch as these two men get deeper and deeper into their own games.

What's delicious about this movie is that you can connect a line between every individual character and each person they encounter. And almost every single one of those lines draws a deceitful relationship. Brando deceives Malden, Malden's daughter and every woman he meets. Malden lies to Brando and his own family. Malden's daughter hides the truth from her father. Slim Pickens tries double crossing everyone he meets. It's dizzying to keep up with what the actual reality of the film is.

As far as revenge films goes, this is good, but not great. The vengeance is interesting to watch from the point of view of the audience, yet it's not quite as engaging as it could have been. I felt simultaneously intrigued and removed from the action.

Where the film does get a boost though is from the performances of the two stars. This shouldn't be a surprise. Even in places where the script drags, watching Malden and Brando as they plot and scheme with each other while also trying to figure out the other guy's motivation is always fun.

The Digiview Productions edition of this film is presented in widescreen. The picture and sound quality are more than adequate, although they could definitely benefit from some digital cleanup.

If you like movies where the only characters with redeeming qualities are given less than half a dozen lines each, then ONE EYED JACKS should be right up your alley. But you might want to draw a flow-chart while watching so that you can keep track of everyone's ulterior motives.