1976 film by Arthur Penn
The Missouri Breaks is a 1976 American Western film starring Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson. The film was directed by Arthur Penn, with supporting performances by Randy Quaid, Harry Dean Stanton, Frederic Forrest, John McLiam, and Kathleen Lloyd in her film debut. The score was composed by John Williams.
The title of the film refers to a forlorn and very rugged area of north-central Montana, where over eons, the Missouri River has made countless deep cuts or "breaks" in the land.
The film explores themes including the American frontier myth, economic exploitation and law and order. Like some other films directed by Penn, it has been read as an allegory of capitalism and the American counterculture.
Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.