The Missouri Breaks

1976 • 126 минут

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An 1880s Montana cattle baron (John McLiam) hangs a cattle rustler, mostly as an example to the gang's leader (Jack Nicholson). Nicholson vows revenge, but falls in love with the daughter (Kathleen Lloyd) of the cattle baron, and decides to settle down and become a farmer. But he continues to assist the rustlers who still raid McLiam's land. McLiam hires a top-gun bounty hunter (Marlon Brando). Nicholson sets out to kill Brando, but loses his chance. Brando resumes a murderous rampage which will soon wipe out all the outlaws-- except Nicholson, who will precede his final battle to the death with Brando in a competition of mugging, switching accents (Brando) and mannerisms that would, in themselves, do in lesser men. This enormously entertaining movie was directed by Arthur Penn.

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This is a strange film, and I thought so at the time it was made. I thought time may have been kind to it but it hasn't. The music is strange and inappropriate for the film. There was so many parts in the film that didn't carry it forward at all. The brothel scene, The kangaroo court scene, plus the strange interludes of wrestling and chicanery between the gang members, seemed badly timed and out of place. While Nicholson put in a solid performance, Brando's character was very unusual and discordant. His portrayal of madness and psychopathy seemed completely out of place. Was there ever such a person in Montana history, who at one point is speaking in a Irish accent and then with Randy Quaide's character is speaking like a regular frontiersman. Its as though to entice him to play the role he was given Carte Blanche to do what ever took his fancy, his was a lazy performance in this role and his career after this time seemed to spiral into silliness, with the Island of Dr Moreau. Nicholson of course went on to many more successful roles.

Love this movie. I was young when I first saw it at the cinema. Still excellent. Stellar cast. Both Brando and Nicholson are magnificent. Harry Dean Stanton also a stand out. I suspect Brando did quite a bit of ad libbing on this one, which didn't turn out to be a bad thing. This is a filmic gem.

It is hard to understand why this film was so unappreciated in 1976. Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson and Harry Dean Stanton are excellent, and the film is evocative, elegiac, funny and beautiful. My only criticism is of the "HD" version presented by Google...any image of blue sky is made intolerably fuzzy, while other scenes are crystal clear. Why, Google?