--- title: "One-Eyed Jacks: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/one-eyed-jacks/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/one-eyed-jacks" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # One-Eyed Jacks (1961): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics rate One-Eyed Jacks highly, and the praise clusters around Brando, both in front of the camera and behind it. His performance is singled out for its control of image and gesture, and his direction is called fascinating, powerful and, for a debut, remarkably assured. The Monterey coastline photography draws repeated notice, as does the film’s frankness about sadism and perversity for a Hollywood western of its period. Several critics place it as a revisionist western that looks forward to Peckinpah, and a recent restoration is credited with reviving its reputation. The reservations are few and mild. Variety finds some of the secondary villains one-dimensional, and Time Out is more guarded, calling the direction fascinating without going much further. The spread is narrow and tilted upward: The Skinny gives full marks, and the single mixed notice sits closer to good than to poor. The New York Times is warm too, its only regret being that Brando never directed another film. ## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen Rating 4.5/5. 24 November 2016. Bowen celebrates the film as an influential, introspective western that merits renewed respect. He singles out Brando’s control of image and gesture, alongside Criterion’s ravishing restoration. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/one-eyed-jacks/) ## The Guardian — Guardian staff reporter Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 June 2017. The critic considers the film possibly the best Western since Shane and praises its revival of period and community. They single out its family and fiesta scenes as capturing the communal humanity of the genre. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/22/marlon-brando-one-eyed-jacks-western-1961) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic calls the revenge western a remarkably powerful and winning directorial debut. They single out Brando’s performance, strong supporting turns, and especially the breathtaking Monterey coastline photography. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/one-eyed-jacks-review/) ## Radio Times — Tony Sloman Rating 4/5. Sloman calls the film a stunning, deeply satisfying psychological western. He praises its distinctive treatment of sadism and perversity for a Hollywood film of its period. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-z27chk/oneeyed-jacks/) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1960. The review finds the film strong in its central characterizations, though some secondary figures are one-dimensional villains. It praises Brando’s substantial performance, Malden’s vivid portrayal, and the production’s visual artistry. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1960/film/reviews/one-eyed-jacks-1200419927/) ## The New York Times — Elvis Mitchell Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 October 2001. The critic views the film positively and regrets that Brando made no other film as director. The article’s headline singles out its status as Brando’s sole directorial effort. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/21/movies/film-if-only-it-hadn-t-been-his-only-one.html) ## Time Out — TM Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The review describes Brando’s direction as fascinating, but the available text does not reveal its overall verdict. It singles out the revenge story, in which an outlaw returns to haunt the partner who betrayed him. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/one-eyed-jacks) ## The Skinny — Ian Schultz Rating ★★★★★. 13 July 2017. The review presents the film as a harsh, influential revisionist western that bridges older westerns and later work by Peckinpah. It singles out the film’s violence and Catholic symbolism, and notes that a new 4K restoration has helped revive its reputation. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/one-eyed-jacks) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/one-eyed-jacks.md