Morituri (1965)

A German living in India during World War II is blackmailed by the English to impersonate an SS officer on board a cargo ship leaving Japan for Germany carrying a large supply of rubber for... See full summary »

Director:

Bernhard Wicki

Writers:

Werner Jörg Lüddecke (novel), Daniel Taradash (screenplay)

Stars:

Marlon Brando, Yul Brynner, Janet Margolin

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marlon Brando	...	Robert Crain
Yul Brynner	...	Captain Mueller
Janet Margolin	...	Esther
Trevor Howard	...	Colonel Statter
Martin Benrath	...	Kruse
Hans Christian Blech	...	Donkeyman
Wally Cox	...	Dr. Ambach
Max Haufler	...	Branner
Rainer Penkert	...	Milkereit
William Redfield	...	Baldwin
Oscar Beregi Jr.	...	Admiral (as Oscar Beregi)
Martin Brandt	...	Nissen
Charles De Vries	...	Kurz
Carl Esmond	...	Busch
Martin Kosleck	...	Wilke

Storyline

A German living in India during World War II is blackmailed by the English to impersonate an SS officer on board a cargo ship leaving Japan for Germany carrying a large supply of rubber for tyres. His mission is to disable the scuttling charges so the captain cannot sink the ship if they are stopped by English warships.

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Plot Keywords:

german | ss | british | cargo ship | japan | 

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Taglines:

World War II, Espionage, adventure and human lives have never before been combined so explosively

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1965 (Austria)

Also Known As:

Saboteur: Code Name Morituri

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arcola Pictures, Colony Productions, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard appeared in Mutiny on the Bounty in 1962 and were to appear again years later....in Superman.

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Connections

Referenced in Undergrunnen (1966)

User Reviews

Why hasn't anybody ever heard of this movie?

I stumbled across MORITURI in a Virginia Blockbuster; I've never seen it for rent anywhere else. I noticed that it had Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner, so I thought it had to be worth a try. And so I saw what turned out to be one of the top 20 World War II movies I've ever seen. That's right, up there with PATTON, THE YOUNG LIONS, and the like.

Brando plays Robert Crain, who is assigned to go undercover on board a German freighter transporting a cargo of rubber to the war zone. He must impersonate a Nazi to do this, and must face some hard choices as to how cruel he can be to appear realistic. Brynner is Muller, the captain of the freighter who has accepted the job as his last chance to save his career in the German merchant marine. He is fair and compassionate and must rein in the fanatical Nazi second-in-command that his superiors have appointed for him. En route, the freighter picks up the survivors of a U-boat, including Esther (Janet Margolin) a beautiful young concentration camp survivor who is so brimming with hatred and vengefulness that she can no longer even accept human compassion.

Brando is very good in his role, but he is completely upstaged by Brynner, who gives the performance of a lifetime. His conflict, between his patriotism and self-preservation on the one side and the vileness of what the Nazis are doing to him and to his country on the other, is marvelously realized. The movie also features a beautiful exchange between Brando and one of the passengers - "I was a political prisoner." "Falsely accused, of course." "No. Not falsely accused." (smiles). I have a soft spot for movies where adversaries come to respect each other, and MORITURI is one of the best of that type.

Good luck finding this movie. It's a true diamond in the rough.

Rating: ***1/2 out of ****.