A Western-as-capitalist-critique piece shanghaied by Marlon Brando's eccentric bounty hunter trying on brogues, mumus, and buckskin Nudie suits.
The Missouri Breaks (1976)
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Reviews Counted:18
Fresh:15
Rotten:3
Average Rating:6.5/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Genre: Westerns
Synopsis: It's the wild frontier and anything goes, especially in the untamed territory of Montana. Tom Logan (Jack Nicholson) leads a gang of cattle thieves out for revenge when one of its members is hanged... It's the wild frontier and anything goes, especially in the untamed territory of Montana. Tom Logan (Jack Nicholson) leads a gang of cattle thieves out for revenge when one of its members is hanged by wealthy rancher David Braxton. Braxton, however, has hired expert manhunter Lee Clayton (Marlon Brando) to stop the gang at any cost. Clayton is a crazed man, driven half mad by the loneliness of his profession, a man who will never stop until he has gotten his quarry. Tom Logan is not intimidated and confronts Clayton himself. THE MISSOURI BREAKS is another vivid anti-western from Penn. Like LITTLE BIG MAN, this film takes a hard look at what life was like in the wild West, keeping the characters real and the story intense. Marlon Brando gives an unnerving performance as the insane bounty hunter, and Nicholson is sympathetic as the young but wearied cattle rustler who is in love with his enemy's daughter. The production overcame many difficulties with weather and locations to create an entertaining Hollywood epic. [More]
Starring: Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Lloyd, Randy Quaid
Starring: Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Lloyd, Randy Quaid, Frederic Forrest, Harry Dean Stanton, John McLiam, John Ryan, Sam Gilman
Director: Arthur Penn
Director: Arthur Penn
Producer: Elliott Kastner
Composer: John Williams
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Reviews for The Missouri Breaks
Slightly lacking in tension but with a striking performance from Marlon Brando
One of the few truly major Westerns of the '70s, with a very clear vision of the historical role played by fear and violence in the taming of the wilderness.
If Penn failed to ride herd on his two superstars, he still was able to wrangle some sharp observations on the clash between the mythic old West and its reality
Brando's conversation with his horse, in which he notes that the animal has "the lips of Salome and the eyes of Cleopatra," must be seen to be believed...
Although there are obvious flaws, there's a lot to recommend what turns out to be a dark, cynical work with some finely honed character acting from both men.
This appealingly eccentric revisionist western highlights the critical importance of violence in establishing 'civilized' society in the American wilderness.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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