A lone survivor from a British naval ship is obsessed with getting revenge on a German U-boat crew that massacred his shipmates in the water.A lone survivor from a British naval ship is obsessed with getting revenge on a German U-boat crew that massacred his shipmates in the water.A lone survivor from a British naval ship is obsessed with getting revenge on a German U-boat crew that massacred his shipmates in the water.
Siân Phillips
- Hayden
- (as Sian Phillips)
John Clifford
- Submarine Crewman
- (uncredited)
Harry Fielder
- German Sub Crewman
- (uncredited)
George Roubicek
- U-Boat Crewman
- (uncredited)
Bob Simmons
- member of German sub crew
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe part of the U-Boat was played by a Venezuelan submarine, the former USS Tilefish (SS-307). The floating crane was, itself, a former WW2 tank landing craft.
- Goofs(at around 1h 17 mins) There is modern-day traffic on the far right of the screen crossing a high bridge just above the tree-line.
- Alternate versionsThe original UK cinema version was cut by the BBFC to remove 2 uses of the word 'fuck' and to edit shots of bloody shootings and dead bodies for an 'A' (PG) certificate. The 12-rated UK DVD release restores the gunshot scenes but also has the swear words blanked out, and an inferior 4:3 transfer.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Entertainment This Week Salutes Paramount's 75th Anniversary (1987)
- SoundtracksMy Hat's on the Side of My Head
(uncredited)
Written by Harry M. Woods and Claude Hulbert
Performed by Roy Fox
Played on the gramophone
Featured review
Excellent movie! War ain't over till it's over
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.
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.
helpful•174
- CinefanR
- Jan 20, 2012
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $5,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 47 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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