film

Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando square off in this thoroughly odd Western that subverts the usual tropes of the genre at every turn, bringing dark humour, psychological drama and surrealism into the mix. Nicholson puts in an understated performance as Tom Logan, a horse rustler fallen on hard times, while Brando plays Robert E. Lee Clayton, a quirky and unpredictable "regulator" hired by a wealthy rancher to track down and kill Logan and his band of outlaws.

Brando's eccentric performance as Clayton, and Penn's indulgence of his bizarre behaviour on set, has led some to consider The Missouri Breaks as the film that "killed" Brando, ushering in his era of "wild-eyed cameos and uninterested supporting roles". Still, Brando and Nicholson's starkly contrasting performances make The Missouri Breaks thoroughly watchable, as do a stellar supporting cast including Harry Dean Stanton, Kathleen Lloyd and Randy Quaid, and an atmospheric score by John Williams.