1. Marlon Brando - One Eyed Jacks (1961)
What is there to say about Marlon Brando that hasn't been said before: Hollywood legend, notorious hellraiser, serial mumbler, difficult to work with, method actor... and director. Yes, in 1961 Marlon Brando took up directing duties on a film called One Eyed Jacks after plans for Peckinpah and Kubrick to do so fell through. Brando quickly realised he was in over his head - "I didn't know what to do", he wrote in his 1994 autobiography. He kept cast and crew languishing around while he pondered camera setups; at other times Brando would wait for hours on end looking out at the ocean, waiting for the waves to be perfect before shooting. By the end of the shoot, Brando had shot around a quarter of a million feet of film; the original cut run around five hours, and Brando, sick of the whole thing, turned the editing over to the studio, who trimmed the film down to a more manageable 141 minutes. Brando never directed again. Overblown and over budget (it soared from $1.8 million to $6 million during the course of shooting, no mean sum in 1961), the film was regarded as little more than a melodramatic tale of revenge in its day, though its reputation has enjoyed something of a rehabilitation in recent years. It's true that the tone veers from soapy melodrama in the more amorous scenes to gritty and realistic during the fight sequences (which are well done and enjoyable), but it is never all that jarring. The film also enjoys great cinematography, whether it's Brando lying on a ridge during a sandstorm, scenes of waves crashing against the sea or just shots of the Mexican landscape as the camera pans around. Also memorable is the opening where the camera starts by looking at a wall; it then turns and moves through a window onto a bank robbery scene. Unfortunately the print I watched wasn't in great shape and it seems that no restoration will be forthcoming any time soon; it's a shame, as I think this film would hugely benefit from a high def transfer. It's still worth watching though, especially if you're a fan of Brando's or a Western aficionado.