★ 6 / 10
_**WW2 tale of revenge in… Venezuela?**_ Near the
Wuchak
_**WW2 tale of revenge in… Venezuela?**_ Near the end of WW2, a U-boat attack on the Orinoco River, Venezuela, leaves only one survivor, an Irish seaman (Peter…
_**WW2 tale of revenge in… Venezuela?**_
Near the end of WW2, a U-boat attack on the Orinoco River, Venezuela, leaves only one survivor, an Irish seaman (Peter O'Toole). After recovering at a Quaker mission, he intends on finding the Germans responsible and wiping them off the face of the Earth. Sian Phillips plays the Quaker doctor, Philippe Noiret a helpful local and Horst Janson the German captain.
Directed by Peter Yates, “Murphy’s War” (1971) is a gritty realistic WW2 flick in the tradition of “The African Queen” (1951) with the German U-boat crew similar to those in “The Land that Time Forgot” (1977), albeit without the puppet dinosaurs of course. Like those films, and “The Eagle has Landed” (1977), the story addresses peripheral events of the war rather than major battles in mainland Europe or the South Pacific.
The simple, almost mundane tale emphasizes how the horrors of war can affect serene remote areas, as well as the inherent problems of retaliation and mad obsession. It also reflects on war having context: During a declared war killing is appropriate, but when the war has officially ended, it’s not. Yet some people are too emotionally tied to the horrors of the war they can’t let it go.
The film runs 1 hour, 47 minutes and was shot in Puerto Ordaz & Orinoco River, Venezuela, with studio stuff done in England.
GRADE: B-/B
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★ 7 / 10
Peter O'Toole's top-notch acting as a brave seaman obsessed with getting vengeance on a German U-boat
ma-cortes
Two World War was just ending , a German submarine , U-Boat , commanded by a captain called Lauchs (Horst Janson) sinks an English ship and gun down most of…
Two World War was just ending , a German submarine , U-Boat , commanded by a captain called Lauchs (Horst Janson) sinks an English ship and gun down most of its crew . Then , a sole survivor of the ship , the revenge-minded Murphy (Peter O'Toole) carries on his own war , no matter what the cost to himself . The Irishman survives and returns to health thanks to a nurse named Hayden (Sian Phillips , real-life O'Toole's wife) . Murphy's war is about to begin from a settlement on the banks of the Orinoco River .Thrilling and exciting screenplay concerning about an obsessive seaman with an eagerly determination to seek vendetta on the Germans , even after he learns the war has ended . Interesting and moving script by prestigious Sterling Silliphant , saddling some nice action scenes at the ending , when it takes place a relentless pursuit between a boat and the sub , specially in the last reel . Sensational acting by Peter O'Toole as the lone survivor from a British naval ship who seeks revenge when his ship is sunk by the Germans and gunned down most of its crew . However , his extreme obsession with desire for vengeance upon the Germans isn't believable , but the moments that click make the movie more than worthwhile . This character about an avenger who seeks revenge on those who killed his crewmates bears remarkable resemblance to ¨Moby Dick's Captain Ahab¨ by Herman Melville . Other important players are : Philippe Noiret as his supporter and sympathetic helper gives a mesmerizing acting , Siân Phillips as a good-tempered nurse and Horst Janson as a captain who massacred the Allied shipmates in the water .Magnificent color cinematography on tropical places by Douglas Slocombe . Adequate as well as stirring musical score by John Barry . The motion picture was compellingly made by Peter Yates and splendidly edited by film editor John Glen , subsequently director of James Bond movies . Never a prolific director, Peter Yates subsequently made only a few more films . His best films include the stylish and ingenious caper comedy Hot Rock (1972); the underwater adventure Deep (1977), based on the novel and screenplay by Peter Benchley ; and the quirky coming-of-age comedy Breaking away (1979). For the latter, Yates received simultaneous Oscar nominations as Best Director and Best Producer and the enjoyably old-fashioned comedy Curtain call (1998), starring Michael Caine and Maggie Smith as a couple of theatrical ghosts . He was nominated again for a more cerebral 'actor's piece', The dresser (1983), starring Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay , based on a play about an ageing stage actor and his long-standing assistant. It was followed by a flop titled Eleni (1985) with John Malkovich . Most memorable, perhaps, were the courtroom thriller Suspect (1987), and the political drama House de Carroll Street (1988) 2011 , following directing a few films until death in 2011 (age 81).
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Surprisingly, I don't think that I've seen this movie, even though I'm a fan of war movies. Thanks for the up, Freeman!