The Missouri Breaks

source: The Missouri Breaks

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The Missouri Breaks

A gang of horse rustlers take on an ornery rancher causing him to hire a psychotic assassin to terminate his tormentors. Brando was superb as the insane Robert Lee, and Nicholson turned in his usual fine performance as the enigmatic gang leader. Was Robert Lee really a bad man for taking out the thieves, or were the rustlers merely "boys being boys"? Excellent western with maximum excitement as well as several good laughs.

THE MISSOURI BREAKS is one of the odder westerns of the 1970s, featuring a typically larger-than-life supporting role for Marlon Brando who seems to be in his own little world. The main thrust of the tale concerns Jack Nicholson's anti-hero, a horse thief and leader of a gang which Brando is soon in hot pursuit of. Brando gets long reams of dialogue to spout and occasionally cross-dresses while killing the bad guys. Nicholson is typically crude yet likeable, and the genre trappings are well-handled in that grittility realistic style of the 1970s. The well-judged supporting cast includes the likes of Randy Quaid, John P. Ryan and Harry Dean Stanton all of whom can be relied upon to entertain.

Marlon Brando died yesterday. I just got the news and felt compelled to comment on this flick specifically, because it seems that whenever I ask of self-professed Brando or western fans, "Have you seen Missouri Breaks?" the answer is, "No." But what a great western! And what a great performance by Brando! Yes, it is 'quirky;' yes, Brando uses a different accent in nearly every scene; and yes, his performance seems at times almost improvised, shooting off in unexpected and rewarding directions. For all this quirkiness, however, I never once felt that the character's affectations were Brando's, or that Brando was somehow on-the-outside-looking-in, overly pleased at his own theatrical acrobatics. This is a brilliant man at work here, living in the moment, a vessel of the character. This has always amazed me about Brando's work: that working from the inside, he can so transform the outside--the physicality and mannerisms of his characters. Good bye, Mr. Brando, and thank you.

Just watched it again. Fantastic movie…. time has done wonders for Missouri Breaks! Several scenes appear to be 'natural' (Like when a horse shakes for no reason, mid dialogue – but the acting keeps rolling) The film is also quite dramatic and eery. Really off beat and also quite art- house. Love it. great music score, and funnily enough, very realistic. Plus sides …. Movie Poster (Bob Peak art) wonderful poster. Lovely sparse film score by John Williams. Brando's eccentricity keeps you captivated. Jane Braxton character….very loyal. So many good things about this movie, things that you never see in to-days modern movie making. Missouri Breaks sure packs a punch, even today. A hidden masterpiece worth revisiting indeed.

I can't believe this movie has been so trashed & overlooked over the years. Like Mickey One & Left-Handed Gun, it's one of Arthur Penn's more offbeat & original films. Marlon Brando gives a highly inventive performance & demonstrates once more that he is one of the great comic performers of the screen (as he did more conventionally in Teahouse of the August Moon). To see Jack Nicholson (who is also excellent in this) with Brando is a terrific treat. Glad I found this on Laserdisk.