The Missouri Breaks

Arthur Penn's 1976 The Missouri Breaks, a wobbly western starring Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson, was one of the most disappointing misfires of the ‘70s. Set in Montana's badlands, the film stars Nicholson as a horse thief who leads his grungy gang in a harassment campaign against a prosperous rancher (John McLiam). In turn, the rancher hires Brando's character as a “regulator”—i.e., a hired gun with the express mission to hunt down and kill the horse thieves. Unfortunately, Penn fails to coax properly balanced performances from his main stars: Nicholson curiously underplays his part, while Brando turns in his most self-indulgent role this side of Mutiny on the Bounty (flipping through accents and dressed in overstated costumes, he engages in such ruthless hamming that the film threatens to turn into an unintentional comedy). While the advertising for The Missouri Breaks might suggest a Brando-Nicholson dynamic duo, the stars actually share very little screen time and when they do finally come together, the meeting is less than earthshaking. Fortunately, the fine supporting cast brings some much-needed evenhandedness to the proceedings, especially the members of Nicholson's gang: stalwarts such as Harry Dean Stanton, Randy Quaid, and Frederic Forrest. Boasting an excellent transfer but no extras, this is an optional purchase, at best. (P. Hall)[DVD/Blu-ray Review—Dec. 16, 2014—Kino Lorber, 126 min., PG, DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1976's The Missouri Breaks sports a decent transfer and a DTS-HD stereo soundtrack on Blu-ray, but no extras. Bottom line: although it has its fans, Arthur Penn's mega-star Western is considered by most to be a muddled and middling disappointment.]