Marlon Brando’s first and last directing effort could probably be fairly classified as the beginning of the Revisionist Era, or, if one prefers, as the launching point of the soon-to-come spaghetti westerns. The pace is somewhat slow and plodding, which to some may read as boring, but it is a character driven story with a lot of changing moods.
Right from the start we have two primary characters that could each be the good guy, or could each be the bad guy. We’re not given a lot of, if any, redeeming qualities to assess them by. As the movie goes on, this doesn’t change much. We’re given plenty of reason to think that both the lead and the secondary protagonists are really just selfish a-holes (which is a hallmark of many spaghetti westerns).
This movie isn’t about fighting for justice, or for a small town that’s been wronged by somebody who doesn’t understand the correct way to apply his power. This is a straight up revenge story. It could very well be a precursor to the Good the Bad and the Ugly, to be completely honest. With the Mexican village, the sand swept scenery, and the desperate sweaty faces of the men seeking to kill each other, it strongly carries an aesthetic that became typified in the Spaghetti Westerns and other revisionist era movies.
One thing that is a bit of a stand out in this movie is it’s setting. The majority of the movie takes place on the California coast. This is pretty unusual for a western, but it certainly works well, especially when you see the town on the coastline and the ocean in the background; it really has a pleasant effect. Another bonus was how real the characters felt, primarily the Mexican compatriot of Brando’s. This movie just seemed to lack a lot of the standard characters that we might come to expect from most westerns.
A final note of interest was the small connections to Billy the Kid’s story. I don’t want to give too many significant spoilers, but anyone with an above-average knowledge of the Kid’s story would probably be able to pick up on these things. I wouldn’t go so far as to make the argument that the writer was trying to re-tell Billy’s story, but elements are there for the student of Billy Bonney.
Over all, I really enjoyed this movie and think it’s a great one to check out when you can. It’s almost two and a half hours long, so for me it was the perfect Sunday afternoon flick after a nice bar-b-que .
Handy With A Gun...! 
Just watched this a few days ago, and I’d have to agree with your assessments. Typically I’m not a big fan of revisionist westerns, at least the ones that most typify what “revisionist” meant, but One-Eyed Jacks carried a good balance, and I enjoyed the ending. Pretty good movie.
This was in the book “1001 Movies To See Before You Die” so I get to cross it off my list!
Just a side note: In one scene about 25 minutes in, Rio (Brando), trying to track down Dad Longworth (Malden), is talking to a Mexican at a poker table. He’s speaking softly, almost mumbling, in Spanish, while stroking his chin with his hand and making small gestures. Dress him up more nicely and substitute Italian for Spanish and this could have come straight out of The Godfather, hehe. It was probably just me, but it gave me a deja vu type experience.
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