Duelo de gigantes

As others have hinted, this film is beyond most people's idea of merely quirky. In fact, it's slightly unbalanced and in parts borders on insane... yet somehow what emerges is a film that is just about believable, as are the various colourful characters who act it out. The film is great fun, and its two hours go by quickly.

Being a huge fan of Brando, and an admirer of Nicholson, I end up thinking this film in no way detracts from their illustrious careers and what they've done elsewhere. Having said that, Brando does ham it up in a grand, thoroughly camp style: outlandish costume, inexplicable changes of costume, florid gestures and - as other reviewers have pointed out - weird accents. The accents he uses shift around inconsistently and theatrically (especially the more sustained efforts to sound Irish in his early scenes). But he obviously had fun when making the film. Nicholson's performance is a model of seriousness and sobriety by comparison.

The cinematography is superb, with great use of light and shade in shooting a wonderful landscape. The action is generally slow-paced, but with a heavy sense of impending menace through most of the film. The score is not among the film's stronger points. Dialogue is mostly fresh and original for a 70s era western, and cliché avoided. It is well acted, despite the quirkiness of the script and screenplay.

Perhaps a little odd that the critics slated this film so ferociously at the time it was released. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, made just a few years earlier was (rightly) lauded to the skies, precisely for giving originality, humour and a modern twist to the old western format. That film now seems in some ways more dated than The Missouri Breaks. The latter is not as good a film as Sundance, by a distance, but, for any true fan of cinema, well worth giving it a try.

If you're looking for a Howard Hawks/John Wayne-style western, the Missouri Breaks may not be for you. It is, in my opinion, the most sadly underrated western ever.

This film didn't get the treatment it deserved when it came out in the 70s in part because its two stars, coming off movies like the Godfather and Chinatown, were box office powerhouses in their prime when uniquely paired together. I don't know what film could have matched the expectations of the critics, especially a western that was probably more low key and off-beat than anticipated.

I will never forget the first time I watched this movie and how pleasantly shocked I was at how good it actually is.

Brando's portrayal is so wonderfully eccentric it gets more and more enjoyable with repeated viewings. Nicholson's, meanwhile, exemplifies the charisma that we associate with him being at the top of his craft during the Chinatown/Cuckoo's Nest era in his career.

While the two big name stars don't disappoint, the rest of the cast is stellar. Kathleen Lloyd gives the kind of performance from a lesser known actress that has me scrambling for the video guide wondering what other films she might be seen in. Randy Quaid's role is fascinating for being so early in his career. But Harry Dean Stanton delivers an especially understated, yet weighty performance as Nicholson's closest partner.

The dialog is often humorous, especially one scene between Lloyd and Nicholson where he drawls: "Keep the dang thing, I don't want it!"

The Missouri Breaks has extremely interesting, individual characterizations with authentic settings that take you back to a credible old West that is not Hollywood back-lot. The story is funny at times, but extremely tense as it approaches its climax.

Nothing irks me more than a movie that is wonderful in all aspects expect for the score, but that is not an issue here. John Williams' music, with occasional emphasis on the harmonica, fits well with the style of the movie.

If you appreciate the genre, this is entertaining and worth owning. It's the kind of western that should be watched several times to appreciate some of the more subtle nuances and details.

Maybe a bit disjointed, but I liked it, a lot, actually. Lead males were all great, but like so many westerns The Girl was a let-down. With most of the cast playing it pretty straight Brando doesn't seem over the top at all, it works well and is not too silly at all, reminds me of a eccentric uncle combined with Hannibal Lector, without the, you know.... Otherwise a film you should definitely consider watching, if only to see how Brando, Nicholson, and Harry Dean Stanton do a western. I loved it, Brando stole the show. See it to decide for yourself whether you like the direction Brando takes it. There's nothing like it, and this is not a run-of-the-mill western.

The Missouri Breaks gets its title from the fact that the scene of the action takes place in Montana at the head waters of the tributary streams that eventually flow in and make up the Missouri River. It seems like you have to cross a lot of streams in order to get any place in that country, no matter which side of the law you're on. And we do get to see it from both points of view.

Jack Nicholson heads an amiable gang of horse thieves who probably are no better or worse than a lot of those who might be deemed on the right side of the law. They've been stealing a lot from big rancher John McLiam and he's about had it. His answer though might be worse than the horse thieves.

It's to call in a regulator which is a fancy term for a bounty hunter. The guy he gets is Marlon Brando who it could be argued is in his most villainous role on the screen. This is a swaggering Irish brogue speaking gunfighter who really does love his work.

Brando's ways start to rub McLiam the wrong way not to mention his daughter Kathleen Lloyd the wrong way. She's on bad terms with her father and has taken a shine to Nicholson in any event.

A lot of the same issues are dealt with in The Missouri Breaks that were in the fine Kirk Douglas western, Posse. The difference is that Douglas operates with a professional posse and he's got career plans which call for him to bring in outlaw Bruce Dern and his gang by any means necessary. Brando's not got any plans other than to do what he does, kill people with a license which he thoroughly enjoys.

The final confrontation with Nicholson and Brando is a gem from director Arthur Penn. There's very little words, but the expressions on the faces of both men are absolutely priceless, worth 10 pages of dialog.

The Missouri Breaks is the last of three westerns that Marlon Brando did, One Eyed Jacks and The Apaloosa are the others. This is definitely the one I enjoyed best.

This film has suffered some pretty undue criticism. It gets the dreaded `BOMB' rating in Leonard Maltin's guide, followed by `The worst film of a great director.' I haven't seen more than a couple of Penn's other films, so I can't comment on that, but it is hardly a bomb. Sure, it is a little slow moving, and it doesn't quite feel like the themes of the film were totally panned out, but most of the film is very good. I'm assuming Brando's the problem with most of the film's detractors. Wow, is his performance weird here. If you ever wanted to find the missing link between The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, here it is. He plays a bounty hunter of sorts hired to discover some horse thieves and murderers. This character is very eccentric, and I'm guessing that Brando had a lot of artistic input on this one based on his later career. He's basically a psycho killer, and he seems much more lawless than the criminals he's seeking. He also speaks with an Irish brogue, some of the time. Personally, the waxing and waning accent is my only real problem with the role, and I'm not a big accent baby anyway. It's a tiny flaw in what is otherwise a very interesting performance. Brando creates a very memorable character. Jack Nicholson plays his rival. He's almost ready to go straight, having found a nice, small ranch and a girlfriend (Kathleen Lloyd). His performance is subdued, and I really think Nicholson is best when he's like that. This isn't his greatest performance, but it is subtle and it's very good. The flaws of the film are offset by the number of great scenes in it. Almost every single actor gets one scene alone with Brando, and both Randy Quaid and Harry Dean Stanton deliver excellent performances especially in those scenes. Nicholson's two best scenes are also alone with Brando. I would guess than he had something to do with their co-star; I do think Brando deserves some credit for the excellence of these scenes. Penn's direction is nothing to write home about. I love the two other films I've seen by him, Mickey One and Bonnie and Clyde, but, let's face it, he was more or less ripping off the Italian and French cinemas of the time, respectively. Missouri Breaks is much more straighforward in that respect, and perhaps it is here that it could have used a boost of energy. 8/10.