Murphy's War (1971) User Reviews (60)

Peter O'Toole's top-notch acting as a brave seaman obsessed with getting vengeance on a German U-boat

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 15 February 2017]

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).

Glad so many people like it

[philipjcowan · 8/10 · 6 May 2013]

I saw this film first time round and, going by the date is was made, I must have been about seven years old. Our cinema in Lochgelly was rather lax about age restrictions.

Scenes still stick in my mind and its themes are still very much with me — the horror and dehumanizing impact of war and the futility of revenge.

I have since seen the film again and I was glad not to be disappointed. Being older and wiser, one is inevitably more critical, but there is so much to enjoy in this film. The performances, setting and story all work together to draw you into its dark and dangerous world.

Most notably of all, the U-boat commander and his men are portrayed as human beings. Efficient, determined, ruthless, but they too have feelings and hate the whole damn war just as much as Murphy. This was unusual in war films up until then, and its progressive, enlightened approach to the war enhances the story. We understand and even feel for Murphy, but we too must understand that sometimes we need to let go, accept our losses, be glad we survived and realise that our enemies are human too.

Excellent film

[grahamsj3 · 7/10 · 14 December 2003]

Peter O'Toole stars as Murphy, sole survivor of a ship torpedoed by a German U-boat at the close of WW2. He generates a lot of hatred towards the Germans and sets about to extract revenge for his fallen comrades. This is a story of hatred gone ballistic and obsession for revenge. It seems that Murphy has gone mad. Towards the end of the film, a means to get his revenge becomes available and he sets out to kill the U=boat. Will he succeed? A very good film!

sweet revenge for a mad Irishman

[jkholman · 3 August 2004]

Some films are worth watching if for no other reason than a well-placed novelty that does not distract from the story, but complements it. While I found Murphy's War to be an engaging tale, the sight of an antique float plane in weathered condition humping up and down the river straining to get airborne was exciting (along the lines of a Curtiss Jenny in The Great Waldo Pepper or that '59 finned-automobile in Pink Cadillac). Whether one likes these movies or not, getting a look at a beautiful machine is matchless (unless that object of beauty is Sophia Loren). And how can anyone not be impressed with Mr. Murphy's single-mindedness. Yes, revenge is better left to deities and gods, but oh how sweet it is when realized.

Love it or hate it, you can't deny it

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 22 September 2012]

I can't make up my mind how I feel about Murphy's War. It is a simple story - Murphy is the sole survivor of a German U-Boat attack where the Germans make a point of making sure there are no survivors. Ending up on the remote Brazilian coast while the U-Boat undertakes repairs up-river, Murphy decides to refurbish a derelict seaplane in order to bomb and sink the U-Boat. His plans continue even after hostilities cease.

Peter O'Toole plays the obsessed Murphy in another definitive performance 9 years after his career-establishing Lawrence. His support, all excellent, comprise then-wife Sian Phillips as a doctor servicing the local tribe, Philippe Noiret as a stranded engineer, and Horst Janson as the U-Boat commander. But this is O'Toole's film.

There is an odd conflict here between, on the one hand, the gorgeous scenery and exhilarating flying sequences and, on the other hand, the underlying story and the unattractiveness of Murphy's character and obsession. It is a worthwhile film but I was far from sure whether I had actually enjoyed it.

Nobody wins.

[brogmiller · 7/10 · 12 November 2023]

Originally to be directed by Burt Kennedy and starring Frank Sinatra, both of whom opted for 'Dirty Dingus Magee'(!) this loose adaptation of Max Catto's novel has been inherited by Peter Yates and features Peter O'Toole, his wife at the time Sian Phillips, highly respected French actor Philippe Noiret and a strangely cast Horst Janson.

By all accounts this proved to be a difficult shoot not least because of disagreements between the director and producer Michael Deeley which resulted in the break up of their professional partnership and one cannot but feel that the finished product is a far cry from screenwriter Stirling Silliphant's original concept. As an actress whose sporadic film appearances have never done justice to her talent, Miss Phillips does her best with an undeveloped, underwritten role whilst Janson's submarine commander who offers a wounded British officer a cigarette prior to murdering him in his hospital bed does not entirely ring true.

This is essentially a vehicle for charismatic Mr. O'Toole who has a particular talent for portraying madness in its various forms. Here his character resembles a maniacal Oirish version of Bogart's Charlie Allnut in 'The African Queen'. Murphy's gung-ho, obsessive desire for vengeance despite knowing that Germany has surrended ultimately renders his character unsympathetic but this may very well have been the makers' intention.

Beautifully shot in Venezuela by veteran Douglas Slocombe, the aerial sequences are stunning whilst many scenes prove more effective without a score. All-in-all a pretty good adventure yarn which for this viewer at any rate could have been so much more.

The ending, which differs considerably fom Catto's novel, calls to mind Gandhi's 'An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind'.

Glossey Pictorial of a Man gone Mad with Revenge...

[[e-mail] · 7/10 · 3 February 2004]

Classic storyline exceeding all my hopes with Peter O'Toole as a Man not to be toyed with under any circumstances. O'Toole's U-Boat and all his men are attacked mercilessly by their deadly enemy, he is the only survivor, with healing from his caring doctor he endeavors to strike back at his enemy by rebuilding an old submerged war plane to "make things right", he has plenty to do, as do the civilians on the island where he was healed. But his aim is a higher authority, a bullseye he must not miss. He uses any method necessary to attain his desire which he may or may not achieve. The use of revenge is not a new technique but this is a fresh revisit of the old standards of movie-making and the morals that was felt at the time. This movie has high production values and gives the audience plenty to rally around. Peter O'Toole has always been and still commands respect from his fellow actors and the people who watch him. 8 of 10*.

WW2 tale of revenge in... Venezuela?

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 14 September 2020]

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 conflict 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

Plane Sailing

[writers_reign · 7/10 · 1 September 2007]

As newspaper freebies go this isn't bad but over and above any entertainment value is the fascination with the rip-off and crude attempts at movie subtlety; they producers seem to think that by changing the war from the 1st to the second, changing the Continent from Africa to South America and changing a cockney to an Irishman and a missionary to a doctor no one is going to spot that we're talking African Queen here with a soupcon of Moby Dick for good measure. There are, of course, other minor differences; in The African Queen it is the missionary Katie Hepburn who wants to destroy the German ship and has to convince Bogie's Charlie Allnut to go along with it whilst here it is Murphy (Peter O'Toole) as single minded as Ahab in his quest for the White whale, who is obsessed with destroying the German ship and Sian Phillips doctor who is against it from the first. Another modification is to meld the Missionary of The African Queen into Sian Phillip's doctor and Philippe Noiret's general factotum and to throw us off the scent by having O'Toole initially attempt to bomb the submarine from a seaplane he has found, rebuilt and learned to fly. Only when this fails does he resort to ramming it a la African Queen style. For all that it's a gripping enough tale in the best tradition of Boy's Own Paper and both O'Toole and Noiret turn in fine performances. I haven't read the novel by Max Catto, a third-rate writer who successfully sold several of his novels to Hollywood - Fire Down Below, Trapeze, The Devil At Four O'Clock etc and it may well have been him who ripped off C.S. Forrester's superior work but that aside this remains a decent enough divertissement.

Fun to work on.

[harryfielder · 10/10 · 16 March 2009]

MURPHY'S WAR… Peter O'Toole…Director Peter Yates… Central Casting sent Jerry Floyd, Nick (the bubble) and myself down to Portsmouth or Southampton (cant remember which) to play German U Boat crew. We'd be there for a couple of days and stay in a local B/B over night. When we get called onto the set we go below decks on a British submarine that is decked out like a second world war German U Boat. Now it seems in the film the U Boat has run aground on a sand bank on an inlet river in South America and is waiting for the tide to turn so it can re-float. Meanwhile Peter O'Toole is trying to chop a very large tree down and put it across our Sub. (Thus, causing us some discomfort.) (Got the plot so far, he's dropping trees, and I'm in the basement..) A cute make up girl asks me to strip to the waist (and I think, from the shoes up, what no flowers? We've only just met) but she has to put make up on my face and body to make me look tanned as if I was in South America. Bert Batt the 1st A.D. took us all to see the Director Peter Yates (of Bullitt fame) and I was chosen to be the blue eyed German working the controls of the Sub.. After a few different angles the make up girl applies sweat to my hair and face. The camera is stuck an inch from my nose. (Now we are talking about close ups here. My face plastered sixty foot by eighty foot at the Odeon Marble Arch. She could have saved on the sweat, I was sweating for England.) Peter was guiding me through the shots. ''Imagine you can hear a noise above you. Now imagine there's a noise to your left, now to your right. Don't move your head Back too far, we're close on your eyes.'' Then it was ''CUT, see you in the morning Eight O clock.. Thanks Harry that was good''. Well that was good for me too. It took me hours to come down. Me, Jerry and Nick went out on the town and got very drunk. (Well it makes a change)? The next day I'm back at the controls of the Sub and I'm thinking is it to be another starring role. Peter tells us today's the day the Sub gets hit and there could be a drop of water splashing around. First scene control room…I'm standing at the controls and Peter talks me through it. ''Now concentrate on the controls Harry and keep looking about. It seems the tide is coming in and you're going to be all right. Now give a huge sigh of relief. It's very quiet now but suddenly, !!!!! CRASH !!!!. That's the cue for the Prop men to sling big buckets of freezing cold water over me. ''You're panicking now Harry (He's got good eyesight) More water on him and CUT. I spent most of the rest of the day sitting on the Sub deck enjoying the warm sun while the Stuntmen got their share of the water. We shot some other stuff in one of the cabins drinking beers then it was time to head off back to London. Thanks Mr. Yates. (You must remember in the film game that all the shots don't make it to the big screen, a lot end up on the cutting room floor

Peter O' Toole In a Terrific Film

[Easygoer10 · 7/10 · 20 August 2019]

Here it is, almost a decade after O'Toole's glory in (perhaps Great Britain's greatest director) David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962). That is truly an epic film, with a stunning cast, and a running time of almost 4 hours (including the epilogue, intermission and prologue). Peter O'Toole received top billing, and the rightly (as the English say), and was shot to film stardom (along with several other brilliant actors). O'Toole will always remind me of Malcolm McDowell, who had the lead role in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange", which (coincidentally) was released the same year (1971) as this film ("Murphy's War".) Peter O'Toole became a terrible alcoholic (McDowell had his own demons, but finally beat them). He also worked his entire life, until he sadly passed away in 2013 at 81 years of age, which is quite good, considering the abuse he put on his liver. Malcolm McDowell (a younger man) is still working, and, has quite a large family. BTW, the director of this film, Peter Yates, became famous for directing "Bullitt" in 1968. It was Steve McQueen's seminal film. The beginning of the iconic stature he eventually reached. As far as "Murphy's War", it is a quite good, and has a typical ending for a film of the 1970s (the greatest decade for film, imo). Definitely worth seeing.

Mad Irishman Revenges self on Sub

[raegan_butcher · 10/10 · 13 April 2006]

Crusty Irish Seaman (ooooh that just sounds wrong!) Peter O'Toole swears vengeance upon the nasty German U-boat that sank his ship. Not only that, but the heartless Huns machine-gunned O'Toole and the rest of the survivors as they bobbed helplessly in the ocean. So, like the deranged captain Ahab in Moby Dick, he devotes his considerable energies to tracking down that submarine and sinking it.

I saw this on TV back in the early eighties. Now, as an adult I see the resemblance to Moby Dick and I enjoy this movie even more. Anyone who likes Peter O'Toole should see Murphy's War. The location shooting is beautiful. The flying sequences are breathtaking. And the downbeat anti-war ending is awesome.

Slow burning revenge tale builds to an electrifying climax

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 16 December 2016]

MURPHY'S WAR is a WW2 thriller shot in Venezuela to give it an exotic look. The unusual storyline is the best thing about it and similar to Wilbur Smith's SHOUT AT THE DEVIL in the tale of an Allied soldier obsessed with getting revenge on the submarine captain who massacred his men after their ship was torpedoed. Peter O'Toole headlines the cast and dominates with his portrayal of the cocky, carefree Irishman; as usual his superior acting is one of the best things about the film.

The direction comes courtesy of Peter Yates, the man behind BULLITT, and like that film this is a very visual experience. There aren't many ingredients and there's rather a languid pacing but MURPHY'S LAW holds your attention regardless. The locations are fantastic and the special effects solid for their era. There's not much action but that which does occur is hard-hitting. The cast can also be relied upon to give strong performances; because there are so few characters in this, they have to work harder and they're up to the job.

Philippe Noiret (re-teaming with O'Toole after NIGHT OF THE GENERALS) is the likable French ally while Sian Phillips adds plenty of character as the British nurse. Most surprising of all is Horst Janson, Hammer's star from CAPTAIN KRONOS, playing the villain of the piece. He's understated and eminently hateable, a polar opposite from his starring role in the Hammer film. MURPHY'S LAW builds to a fantastically tense climax which is the best part of the film and indeed the last twenty minutes are cinematic excellence.

African Queen Revisited

[chaucer-1 · 5/10 · 27 January 2005]

Reading other comments I wasn't sure if we were talking about the same movie. Putting the record straight. The aircraft used in the film wasn't a Vought Kingfisher, it was a Grumman Duck. The river was the Orinoco in Venezuela, not the Amazon in Brazil. It flows into the Atlantic, not the Caribbean. Murphy was the sole survivor of a Royal Navy Fleet auxiliary, not a British submarine. Having said that, the basic plot of Murphy's War bears a striking resemblance to that of The African Queen but it doesn't come close to that classic. Nor does O'Toole's and Phillips' acting approach the magic of Bogart and Hepburn. I first saw Murphy's War (I had previously read Catto's novel) when it was released as a feature movie. Even then I wondered what possessed O'Toole to take it on. It wasn't a role well suited to him and that still shows many years later. Nor was the the regal Sian Phillips particularly convincing as a medical missionary. Having said that - and after revisiting Murphy's War - the movie has aged better than some and is worth watching if only for the flying sequences, the delightful performance of Phillipe Noiret and the marvellous panoramas of a South American river delta.

The torpedo, oh yes, the torpedo.

[alpote · 26 April 2000]

Someone commented that this was 'a typical war movie'. It's not in any way though. Murphy's War is complete 100% unrestricted genius. I couldn't imagine going through life without seeing it. The entire foundation of this movie is captured in a deep focus shot of a trashed barge, a p***ed off soldier, and a beached torpedo. If your heart doesn't start beating faster and if you don't have a smile on your face when you see this shot; you need medical attention. Go rent this movie!

An interesting and fairly exciting film.

[alexanderdavies-99382 · 7/10 · 26 July 2017]

"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.

Good Movie, bad plot description

[john-3047 · 7/10 · 26 September 2008]

I enjoyed the movie very much, but then Peter O'Toole is a grate Actor and his films are usually worth watching. The one irritating thing was not with the movie but with the plot description on this site. The plot states that "he was the sole survivor of his crew, that has been decimated" this is impossible the word decimated means to reduce by one tenth so you could never have just one survivor. The writer could have used Destroyed, wiped out, all killed or slaughtered; any of these would have made more sense. If one is going to put things up on an international site you should make sure that you know what words mean before you use them. There were also some spellings mistakes in the plot even web browsers have spelling checkers these days so there is no excuse

Not very convincing

[Marlburian · 7/10 · 9 May 2023]

"Murphy's Law" takes the theme of "Brown on Resolution" (aka "Forever England"), remade as "Sailor of the King" (aka "Single-handed"), of a sailor marooned on an island taking his revenge on the German vessel that sank his ship, with an ending reminiscent of that of "The African Queen".

The other films were more convincing (or less unconvincing), as I found it difficult to believe in Murphy's two attacks on the submarine. And though atrocities at sea were committed by all sides during war, I found the one in "Murphy's War" a little unbelievable. Had the U-boat crew - or even its captain - been portrayed as fervent Nazis embittered by losing the war , their actions would have been more credible.

Although the aircraft and submarine may not have been authentic, at least they, the workboat and the scenery looked good. And thank goodness there was no contrived romance between the doctor and Murphy.

low tension war drama

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 6 January 2024]

Murphy (Peter O'Toole) is a sole survivor after a U-boat sinks his ship and massacres his crewmates. He wakes up being treated by Quaker Dr. Hayden. He is obsessed with finding the U-boat. He is certain that it had sneak up the Orinoco in Venezuela.

In the era of the Vietnam war, this is a bit old fashion as Peter O'Toole fights the good fight. A lot of this is down to him. His fans will enjoy spending time with him. There is nothing wrong with that. This is a rather straight forward war movie. Tension is limited. It has some interesting machinery and functional action scenes. O'Toole actually does some of the flying and he does obsession well. I like the seaplane and the submarine. It's not the most exciting.

Moby Dick on the Orinoco!

[spookyrat1 · 7/10 · 16 February 2022]

Peter Yates's Murphy's War is an unusual film. Many of its critics are right in my opinion about its essentially slight storyline, which borrows heavily from Melville's classic tale of the unhinged Captain Ahab, addicted to the chasing of his white whale seeking revenge for all manner of perceived misfortune rained upon him. The variation here is Murphy, the sole survivor (bar one) of the crew of a merchant ship, sunk by a German U-boat with its crew machine-gunned mercilessly in the water. Needless to say, he is hell - bent on revenge against the U - boat, which he knows lies in hiding upriver.

I agree that with tighter editing, the film would arguably have worked better with a shorter running time. Sequences for instance involving the sea - plane are rather obviously padded out. But there is a pretty clear pay - off here. Many of the visual sequences are extraordinarily photographed by the great Douglas Slocombe,on location along the Orinoco River. This is a 50+ year old film which is a feast for the eyes and serves to highlight the importance of the exotic location to the story. Added to this is the realism involved in the third act battle sequences between submarine and river barge. Spectacular to say the least.

In a narrative sense it is interesting comparing how the main protagonists are drawn. The Germans, particularly their captain could be well - described as cold - blooded, though in a somewhat enigmatic fashion. But Murphy himself, is much more anti - hero than traditional good guy seeking to right wrongs. Many of his reckless actions we know will end up thoughtlessly wreaking havoc on those river inhabitants who have helped him survive and heal, post sinking of his vessel. Like the mythical Ahab, he only knows one direction to travel.

Blending elements of classic films including The African Queen and The Bridge on the River Kwai, with a strong dash of Moby Dick thrown in for good measure, this offbeat World War II drama illustrates the madness that takes root once individuals personalize international conflicts. One could argue that Murphy's War is too drawn out, and that the emotiveness propelling Murphy's mission onwards, never generates much of a rooting interest, but the film is so technically expertly made, that it doesn't fail to attract attention.

An old favorite of mine

[stewardia · 9/10 · 24 April 2006]

In scanning through these reviews, I'm very pleased to see that this movie is well liked by many people.

I saw it first around the time it came out and even though I was only eleven or twelve, many things about this movie left an impression on me: the sunny, tropical locations, the excellent cast and the impeccable performances.

The very last scene where Murphy is literally consumed by his own revenge is at least as memorable and disturbing as the last scene in The Planet of the Apes (60's version) and drives home the whole point of the movie as perfectly as I've ever seen it done.

See it! You won't be disappointed.

Just because a war has been declared to be over doesn't mean that everybody is going to acknowledge that it's over.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 1 July 2022]

This is one of the handful of films that paired an off-screen married couple, the legendary Peter O'Toole and the should be legend Sian Phillips. It is a paring very similar in nature to Bogart and Hepburn in "The African Queen", transferring the action to the Orinoco River in Venezuela. Both films are set during World War II and deal with a grizzled anti-hero who seeks destroy the Nazis. The difference is that Bogart and Hepburn teamed together to do so without orders in a mission that aided the war effort, and here, it's O'Toole with the help of Philippe Noiret to get revenge on German boat captain Horst Janson for destroying O'Toole's merchant marine boat regardless of the fact that towards the end, war has been declared to be over.

A hard working doctor risking her own life working with the natives, Phillips helps O'Toole mend, does her best to protect the locals when the Nazis invade, and continues to be an eye witness to his growing determination for revenge, obviously a defender of human life rather than encouraging the taking of it regardless of the fact that the Germans are enemies.

Watching her going out of her way to make sure that the injured are removed from buildings that the Germans are targeting and going out of her way to continue to ensure that O'Toole remains strong isn't as easy an acting job as it appears to be for the British stage legend. Phillips is a saint-like presence, quiet but strong, and fascinating to watch. She's as far from her legendary TV role of the empress Livia from "I Claudius" as you could imagine her to be, and far more important to the story than my plot description tells.

Horst Janson, the handsome German ship captain, is very good in a difficult role that doesn't get him any sympathy, and Philippe Noiret as the Frenchman who lives near the hospital that Phillips runs is both funny and touching. The highlight of the film is the scene where O'Toole gets the old plane to work, and flies over the surrounding area with the natives and Phillips transfixed to his every move, eventually going out of his way to attack the Germans. This is a much better film than I expected, very cinematic and beautifully made. A few slow moments here and there, but I was glued to the screen regardless.

Excellent movie! War ain't over till it's over

[CinefanR · 10/10 · 20 January 2012]

Although I'm not a big fan of war movies, I found this one very good, which comes as no surprise since Peter O'Toole is in it. Here you'll see him in a rather unexpected "macho" role, and he's as convincing as Lawrence, general Tanz or any other characters he's ever played. This is pretty much a one-man-show, and what a show! While his vengeance is of course reminiscent of Ahab's personal vendetta, "Murphy's war" is all about O'Toole's intensity and his unmatched ability to capture madness, pain, obsession, self-absorption.

As I understood, O'Toole did most of the stunts himself, so the horrified look on his face, in the breath taking plane sequence, was actually the real deal. Well, I guess that explains the feel of authenticity. Either way, that must be one of the most memorable moments of the genre.

It was a pleasant surprise to see that Germans actually speak German, which is unusual for that particular era of movie-making. (Remember "Where Eagles Dare", where Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood wanted to pass as Germans officers while speaking in English, or "The Night of the Generals" where French generals where talking to each other in English). It's a detail of no major importance by any means, but it ads to the overall impression of realism.

This drama about the devastating effects of war, with great acting, a most realistic flight sequence and a surprising conclusion that fits perfectly – is not to be missed.

I'm still hoping for a better DVD transfer in Region 2.

Luck of the Irish is the bane of the Nazi

[Chase_Witherspoon · 7/10 · 7 October 2023]

Nearing the end of the war, a stranded survivor (Murphy - O'Toole) of a callous U-Boat attack, takes refuge at a mission where he encounters portly Frenchman Noiret and his salvage boat, and kindly doctor Phillips who tries in vain to dissuade him from pursuing vengeance at all costs.

Along with the aforesaid cast, Horst Jonson is effective as the U-Boat skipper reluctantly carrying out orders (executions), discovering belligerent Irish bloody-mindedness as Murphy becomes an unwelcome distraction, graduating from persistent nuisance to mortal threat. Noiret and Phillips are both outstanding as they become unwitting accomplices in Murphy's escalating obsession with revenge, and Noiret's final words of wisdom for the now-maniacal Murphy are prophetic.

Nicely photographed and exceptionally well-acted, the now largely neglected 'Murphy's War' is a masterclass of character study, brought to life by exceptional talent under the guidance of Yates' safe hands and eye for detail. Momentum is occasionally an issue, but there's plenty of tension and feeling when it counts.

Mediocre And Only Memorable Due To The Ending

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 4 February 2014]

In the last days of the second world war a German U-Boat sinks a British merchant ship on the Orinoco river . As the survivors flounder in the river they are massacred by the Germans . One survivor is left , an Irishman called Murphy who becomes obsessed with revenge

All the ingredients of a very good war film are here . Big name star , sadistic Nazis , exotic locations and yet for some reason MURPHY'S WAR fails to take off completely . The Nazis are portrayed as fascist brutes and the film does revolve around Murphy's obsession with revenge . This might work very well in another medium but on film it doesn't translate very well because emotions are internalised and difficult to portray on screen . and this makes for a rather uninvolving film .MURPHY'S WAR does contain long sequences where no one speaks and while some people may admire the qualities of sound editing I didn't . The whole unlikely subplot of Murphy learns to fly a plane become redundant anyway and seems to be included simply to show off the sound editing as if to ask " Please can you give us an Oscar " . The film ends on a bitterly ironic plot turn and like PLAY DIRTY from around the same time leads the film to stick out in the mind but before we get to the cynical ending we have to endure something of a hard slog .