One-Eyed Jacks – The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1961
Director: Marlon Brando
Writers: Guy Trosper, Calder Willingham
Cast: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Katy Jurado, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, Larry Duran, Sam Gilman, Timothy Carey, Miriam Colon, Elisha Cook Jr.

Release Date: November 22nd, 2016
Approximate Running Time: 140 Minutes 23 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"In his only directing stint, Brando captures rugged coastal and desert landscapes in gorgeous widescreen, Technicolor images, and elicits from his fellow actors (including Karl Malden and Pina Pellicer) nuanced depictions of conflicted characters." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Undertaken by Universal Studios in collaboration with The Film Foundation, this new restoration was created from the original 35mm, 8-perforation Vista Vision negative and the 35mm Y-layer separation master (to recover faded blue). These film elements were scanned, using pin registration, at 6K resolution on a Northlight film scanner. Restoration work then proceeded at 4K resolution. The negative and Y-layer files were digitally recombined using 3D image manipulation tools. The film elements were configured for A/B printing, so all transitions, such as fades and dissolves, were recreated to conform to the theatrical cut of the film. Dirt and damage removal was accomplished with a host of digital tools, including MTI Film's Nova, Digital Vision's Phoenix, HS-Art's Diamant, and Autodesk's Flame."

One-Eyed Jacks comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43 GB

Feature: 33 GB

This release gives One-Eyed Jacks its first restoration on home media; all previous public domain releases came from less than stellar sources. That said, the sources look excellent; it is a vast improvement in every way. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image looks organic.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds excellent; it is clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should be.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an introduction by filmmaker Martin Scorsese (2 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), excerpts from voice recordings director and star Marlon Brando made during the development of the film’s script (33 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a video essay by blogger Toby Roan titled A Million Feet of Film (23 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a video essay by film critic David Cairns titled I Ain’t Hung Yet (24 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and a 12-page leaflet with an essay titled Zen Nihilism written by Howard Hampton, cast & crew information, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

A bank robber seeks revenge against his partner who betrayed him.

“You may be a one-eyed jack around here, but I've seen the other side of your face.” – Rio

Although many actors have ventured into directing, One-Eyed Jacks represents Marlon Brando's one and only attempt. He is widely regarded as one of cinema’s greatest actors, so it is not surprising that his directing style greatly complements actors. His creative process on One-Eyed Jacks encouraged actors to improvise and explore moments that extended beyond the script. That said, Marlon Brando’s original version of One-Eyed Jacks is said to have been five hours long before Paramount took control and recut it to its current length of 2 hours and 21 minutes.

One-Eyed Jacks screenplay would have a few notable people work on it before what ended up onscreen: Rod Sterling (The Twilight Zone) wrote the first draft, and Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch) was brought in to do a rewrite. Another notable person connected to One-Eyed Jacks was Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange); he was the original director before being replaced by Marlon Brando.

Marlon Brando made a career out of playing complex and emotionally charged characters like Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront and Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather. He delivers another brooding performance in One-Eyed Jacks in the role of Rio. There is an intensity and calmness about Rio that he balances throughout. You either get two performances from Marlon Brando: one where he is fully engaged or one where he phones it in. His performances in One-Eyed Jacks fall into the former category.

For a first-time director, Marlon Brando puts together an exemplary cast who all bring their A game. The most prominent cast member is Karl Malden, who worked with Marlon Brando twice before, in A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. He portrays Dad Longworth, Rio’s partner who betrayed him, kept the gold they stole, and started a new life as a sheriff in Monterey. The supporting cast is filled with recognizable faces: Ben Johnson (The Getaway), Slim Pickens (Blazing Saddles), Elisha Cook Jr. (The Maltese Falcon), and Timothy Carey (The Killing).

One-Eyed Jacks opens with a bank robbery scene that does a superb job introducing characters and setting the tone for what follows. Despite its many rewrites, the narrative is surprisingly cohesive; it never feels disjointed. Another strength of the narrative is how effectively it builds and sustains tension, which builds to a very satisfying finale. That said, the narrative always holds your attention, and there are no throwaway moments.

When discussing One-Eyed Jacks, one must not overlook cinematographer Charles Lang’s (Some Like It Hot) contributions; his work would garner him an Academy Award. One-Eyed Jacks is a beautifully photographed film that takes full advantage of its picturesque locations, notably the ocean view shots in Monterey. Two visually striking moments include the scene in which wind and dust envelop Rio while he is surrounded by the Rurales, as well as the moment when Dad brutally whips Rio. Ultimately, One-Eyed Jacks is an extraordinary film that should be held in higher regard.

One-Eyed Jacks gets an excellent release from The Criterion Collection that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer