2023 Blind Spot Series: One-Eyed Jacks

 

Based on the novel The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones by Charles Neider, One-Eyed Jacks is the story of a bank robber who goes on a quest for revenge against his former partner who had abandoned him during a showdown with the Mexican mounted police. Directed by Marlon Brando and screenplay by Guy Trosper and Calder Willingham, the film is an exploration of a man trying to get revenge on the man who left him as well as hoping to rob a bank. Also starring Karl Malden, Katy Jurado, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, Pina Pellicer, Larry Duran, Sam Gilman, Miriam Colon, Timothy Carey, Margarita Cordova, and Elisha Cook. Jr. One-Eyed Jacks is a gripping and evocative film from Marlon Brando.

Set in 1885, the film follows a bank robber, whose partner reluctantly abandoned him during a showdown between them and Mexican mounted police forces, who escapes a Mexican prison with a fellow cellmate as they travel to Monterey, California with a couple of men to rob a bank as well as get revenge on his former partner. It is a film that explores a man who felt cheated by his former partner who had ended up making a decent life for himself as a sheriff in Monterey while he spends five years in prison waiting to get revenge. The film’s screenplay by Guy Trosper and Calder Willingham, with un-credited contributions from Sam Peckinpah and Rod Serling, follows the journey that Rio goes through as he is first seen taking part of a bank robbery with his partner Dad Longworth (Karl Malden) and another robber in Doc (Hank Worden) in Mexico that is successful until Rio and Longworth are chased by the mounted police as they’re stuck on a hill with Longworth leaving to get new horses yet he never returned as Rio gets captured and spent five years in a prison which he would escape with Chico Modesto (Larry Duran).

Upon meeting Bob Emory (Ben Johnson) and his partner Harvey Johnson (Sam Gilman), Rio and Modesto travel to Monterey, California upon learning that Longworth is the sheriff in the town as he has married a Mexican woman in Maria (Katy Jurado) who has a daughter of her own in Louisa (Pina Pellicer). Though the plan is to rob the bank in Monterey, Rio decides to meet Longworth without stating his intentions while falling for Louisa as he spends time with her during a fiesta the next day. Yet, things get complicated where Longworth learn about what the two did where Rio gets punished as he and his gang are forced to leave as they shelter themselves in a beachside village as it plays into Rio’s sense of uncertainty about wanting to rob a bank. Even as Maria learns more about her husband’s past as well as what happened with Rio and Louisa that would complicate matters.

Marlon Brando’s direction is filled with gorgeous compositions as it is shot on various locations in California with Big Sur and the Monterey Peninsula being key locations along with Sonora, Mexico for the scenes set in Mexico including its mountains. Brando’s approach to wide and medium shots add to the beauty of these locations with all of these meticulous attention to detail in the ocean waves that Brando captures to play into a world that feels new to Rio as it is also this escape from the rugged nature of Mexico that Longworth wants to leave behind. Brando also maintains some intimacy in the close-ups and medium shots in the first meeting in five years between Rio and Longworth as it play into the tension as Brando creates unique compositions in these moments. Notably in Rio’s infatuation towards Louisa as he would say some lies in order to woo her but eventually realize that she’s a good young woman whom he doesn’t want to take advantage of.

By the time the film moves into the second half where the tension between Rio and Longworth come to ahead despite the former’s action in saving a woman who is being abused by a man. It would allow Longworth to punish Rio in front of the town as revelations occur as it relates to Rio’s original intentions as he retreats to the beach as regrets come into play along with other revelations as it relates to Rio’s love for Louisa. Even as Maria begins to piece out Longworth’s issue with Rio during the film’s third act where a showdown would occur where the idea of vengeance shifts towards guilt with Rio realizing of what Longworth is trying to hold on to that only makes Longworth much worse. Overall, Brando crafts an exhilarating and mesmerizing film about a gunslinger going after his former partner for abandoning him following a bank robbery.

Cinematographer Charles Lang Jr. does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of Technicolor film stock to capture the beauty of the exteriors in the beaches and mountains while John P. Fulton provides some special photographic effects for some scenes on the beach as backdrops for a few of the film’s conversations including one between Rio and Louisa. Editor Archie Marshek does excellent work with the editing with its usage of straight cuts to play into the suspense and drama as well as knowing when to allow shots to linger to help amp up the suspense. Art directors Hal Pereira and J. McMillan Johnson, with set decorators Sam Comer and Robert Benton, do amazing work with the look of Monterey as well as the cantina in Sonora where Rio and Longworth went to after the robbery early in the film. Costume designer Yvonne Wood does fantastic work with the costumes in the dresses that the women wear along with the ragged look of Rio as well as the refined look that Longworth has as sheriff.

The makeup work of Yvonne Wood and Wally Westmore, with hair stylist Nellie Manley, do terrific work with the makeup from Longworth’s rugged look early in the film to the mustache he would have as sheriff as well as the look that Rio would have including the aftermath of a beating he would take from Longworth. The sound work of Hugo and Charles Grenzbach do superb work with the sound as it play into the natural elements as well as the sounds of gunfire from afar or up close. The film’s music by Hugo Friedhofer is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score as it plays into the sense of adventure and suspense as the soundtrack also include a flamenco piece for a key moment in the fiesta sequence.

The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Mina Martinez as a young woman Rio flirts with early in the film following the bank robbery, William Forrest as a bartender in Monterey, Hank Worden as Rio and Longworth’s robbery partner Doc, Philip Ahn as the owner of a beach hostel where Rio would recover in the film’s third act, Ray Teal and John Dierkes as a couple of deputies, Joe Dominguez as a corral owner, Tom Webb as the corral owner’s son, Joan Petrone as a flower vendor Rio flirts with to buy her necklace, Rodolfo Acosta as a Rurales captain, Margarita Cordova as the flamenco dancer, Timothy Carey as a local from Monterey who would be pushy towards the dancer at a bar, Miriam Colon as Longworth’s lover from Sonora whom Rio would meet five years later, and Elisha Cook Jr. as the banker who runs the bank at Monterey that Rio considers robbing. Sam Gilman is terrific as Harvey Johnson as a gunslinger Rio meets in Mexico as he is eager to rob a bank while Larry Duran is fantastic as Rio’s prison mate Chico Modesto who is sort of the film’s conscience as he is willing to help Rio while also knowing the conflict he’s dealing with.

Pina Pellicer is excellent as Louisa as Longworth’s step-daughter who falls for Rio though she is unsure about his intentions while learning about why he’s in Monterey where she begins to see things about Longworth that makes her uncomfortable. Slim Pickens is brilliant as Longworth’s deputy Lon Derrick as a man who doesn’t like Rio while is also infatuated with Louisa despite the fact that she thinks he’s a total creep. Ben Johnson is amazing as Bob Amory as a gunslinger Rio meets in Mexico who joins him on their journey to Monterey while also being someone who has issues with Rio over when to do the robbery as often finds a way to push Rio’s buttons. Katy Jurado is incredible as Longworth’s wife Maria as a woman who is given a great life in her marriage to Longworth only to become suspicious about Rio where revelations about Longworth’s past has her questioning things while discovering some things about Louisa’s relationship with Rio.

Karl Malden is phenomenal as Sheriff Dad Longworth as Rio’s former partner who had abandoned Rio following a showdown between him and Mexican mounted police forces as he creates a new life for himself only to deal with Rio where he is filled with guilt but also not wanting to reveal his own dark past that would eventually alienate him from his family. Finally, there’s Marlon Brando in a tremendous performance as Rio as a bank robber who seeks revenge on his former partner as he is hell-bent on getting revenge until he meets Louisa which complicates things. Brando brings this sense of restraint as a man that is conflicted in his actions but is also someone who is seeking justice of his own while also realizing the complications he is dealing with in his revenge plot as it is one of Brando’s finest performances.

One-Eyed Jacks is a sensational film from Marlon Brando that features incredible performances from Brando, Karl Malden, Katy Jurado, Slim Pickens, Ben Johnson, and Pina Pellicer. Along with its gorgeous visuals, its unconventional study of vengeance and guilt, and an exhilarating music score. The film is a fascinating western that doesn’t play by many of its tropes in favor of exploring the path of two men who were once partners as it leads to this eerie world of vengeance and the revelations of how the past can affect someone’s future. In the end, One-Eyed Jacks is a spectacular film from Marlon Brando.

© thevoid99 2023