POP UP CINEMA BRIGHTON

White Wall Cinema presents

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SUNDAY NOVEMBER 16TH

MARLON BRANDO'S
ONE EYED JACKS
 4K REMASTER 

DIRECTOR: Marlon Brando

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STARRING: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Katy Jurado, Ben Johnson & Pina Pellicer

This past year has seen the return of one of cinema’s most exciting formats, with The Brutalist, One Battle After Another, the upcoming Emma Stone / Yorgos Lanthimos collaboration Bugonia, the new Tom Cruise / Alejandro G. Iñárritu project, the latest Margot Robbie / Jacob Elordi / Emerald Fennell film, and new works from both M. Night Shyamalan and Greta Gerwig — all utilising the classic Paramount VistaVision process.

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But what is it that is proving so irresistible to modern filmmakers, it has prompted a widespread revival of a format that lay dormant for over sixty years? The answer lies in the magic of the select group of films produced during VistaVision’s original heyday. Over this very special VistaVision Weekend, we present two of the most significant titles from that extraordinary list.

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The last film ever shot in VistaVision until The Brutalist (2024) revived the format some 63 years later, One-Eyed Jacks has a history as dramatic as the film itself. Originally penned by legendary director Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch), production was first set to be helmed by Stanley Kubrick, who departed just days before shooting began. In an extraordinary twist, Marlon Brando—already hailed as the greatest actor of his generation—stepped in to direct, creating what would become his only film as a director.

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What followed was the actor of actors directing as only a truly great actor could. Brando’s characteristic passion, perfectionism, and intensity pour from every frame. Working with master cinematographer Charles Lang (Some Like It Hot, The Magnificent Seven), Brando crafts strikingly composed images and draws out a series of extraordinary performances from his cast—most notably from Pina Pellicer and Katy Jurado (High Noon), as well as his longtime collaborator and friend Karl Malden, with whom he had previously worked on A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. 

Brando himself, now calling the shots both in front of and behind the camera, accepts no limits on his power as an artist—delivering one of the finest, most emotionally charged performances of his career.

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The story begins with a botched bank robbery. Rio (Brando) is betrayed by his partner in crime, “Dad” Longworth (Malden). Burning for revenge, Rio bides his time, waiting years for the perfect moment to strike. By the time he rides back into town, “Dad” has reinvented himself as a respected lawman, married Maria (Jurado), and adopted her daughter Louisa (Pellicer). When Rio finally returns, the past collides violently with the present—and the sparks truly begin to fly.

A Western set by the sea, One-Eyed Jacks is a deeply unorthodox take on the genre. At times it almost forgets it’s a Western at all, turning instead toward an intimate study of character, desire, and betrayal. Its performances brim with intensity and beauty, and its unusually sophisticated social undercurrents make it a singular artifact of American cinema—now, at last, receiving its critical due.

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Long considered a legendary but somewhat lost film, One-Eyed Jacks has been painstakingly restored by two of its most devoted admirers, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Its influence reaches far beyond them, inspiring filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, and David Lynch, who has repeatedly referenced the film throughout his work—including naming the brothel in Twin Peaks after it.

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A meditation on friendship, betrayal, and revenge, this romantic anti-Western stands as a one-of-a-kind work from one of cinema’s greatest and most enigmatic talents.

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You can buy tickets for this screening only or take advantage of our discount ticket for both nights of the VistaVision weekend to see To Catch a Thief also.