Murphy's War
Murphy's War
PG | 01 July 1971 (USA)
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Murphy is the sole survivor of his crew, that has been massacred by a German U-Boat in the closing days of World War II. He is rescued, and ends up at a forgotten mission station near the mouth of the Orinoco, and begins to plot his vengeance. He wishes to sink the U-Boat by means of any method imaginable to him, and sets about to make the courageous attempt, assisted by Louis, the administrator of the local oil company.

Reviews
Manthast Absolutely amazing
Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
Cissy Évelyne It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
alexanderdavies-99382 "Murphy's War" is one of Peter O' Toole's better films. The script isn't always up to standard but his performance easily compensates for this and he is only one of a handful of cast members who is British. The leading lady, Sian Phillips (Mrs. O' Toole) is very effective as the medic of the island which provides the films setting. As the title implies, it becomes a case of Murphy carrying his private revenge upon the German sailors who slaughter his comrades as they are defenceless against a German U boat. Murphy is the sole survivor. A true act of cowardice, it is understandable why Peter O' Toole would harbour feelings of hate and anger. However, he is prepared to go to any lengths in order to avenge his fellow sailors. His plan of revenge borders on obsession until it takes over his every day life. He repairs an old plane that has been abandoned on the island but Murphy realises it will take a heck of a lot more in completing his task of defeating the enemy. The photography certainly adds to the proceedings, as does Peter Yates's direction. He manages to keep "Murphy's War" on an even keel.
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 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).
sfd-54 This film was fictionalized so that it could be viewed by civilians. What actually happened was far worse than shown in the movie. When the Germans invade the native hospital they killed the doctor and all of the civilian natives they could find. They did this to conceal their presence and activities from the world once the war was over. The film crew had to use a Grumman Duck because they could not find a Vought Kingfisher. The mechanic that was trying to learn to fly the plane would never have looped and rolled it but like any producer they did it to maintain interest in the film. The river used in the movie was the Orinoco in Venezuela even though the incident happened on the amazon in Brazil. The fact that the crew and captain might have been tried for war crimes had they left any of the survivors alive led them to eliminate all known survivors. The movie tries to show what survivors would have had to do in reality to achieve justice. Of course no one tried the victors. The German crew killed less than 300 people while the fire bombing of Tokyo killed 200,000 people. Perhaps the message the film tried to establish was that only the meek shall survive. I loved the scene near the end when Louie walks off abandoning his only source of income to a lunatic. In reality he would have refused to let the tug go to sea in the first place. When Peter would scream full speed ahead, in the real world Louie would have shut off the fuel line. This is one of the best movies around and the flying sequence is magnificent. Having flown a Giles 202 for five years the aerobatics were something I know about from first hand experience and the loops and rolls were easy. I was also in a Sabreliner when it was rolled but to roll the Duck is something I would never have done. To take a plane that had been so severely damaged and and then to loop it is beyond any form of possibility. The plane, as shown in the movie, did not have enough power to go vertical and once it got inverted the engine would have quit as the plane stalled inverted.
thubba This movie hooked me when I first saw it on television back in the late 1970s. It was made at a time when action/suspense movies did not rely on melodrama, super-human characters, or stunts and special effects that defy the laws of physics; rather, the story follows real people (played by actors who can actually act) in dramatic conflict. The ending is not Hollywood: it is tragic, melancholic, satisfying, and lasting. Peter O'Toole is, as always, pitch-perfect playing an Irishman in the British merchant marine during World War II. Reminiscent of Terrence Malik, director Peter Yates evokes both the calm, tropical beauty of the movie's setting on the Orinoco river delta in Venezuela, and the reflexive violence and weariness of men who have lived at war for half a decade. Muphy's War is one of those rare action/suspense movies driven by characters, realism, not just plot and explosions.This is one of my all-time favorite World War II movies.