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33 reviews in total

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13 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Revenge, and the Lone Survivor, 5 April 2007

Author: thinker1691 from USA

It arises in every war. Destruction on a grand scale and then a private battle on a more secular stage. "In every massacre" quotes the sage, "there is always a survivor." Such is the premise in the film "Murphy's War." During the final months of World War Two, a German U-Boat commander, (Horst Janson) cruising the South American coast line, attacks and sinks a British ship of war, killing all aboard. Examining the ship's wreckage, the German commander is satisfied he not only destroyed the English ship, but did in fact kill the entire crew. Leaving the carnage behind, the audience realizes an English sailor from the stricken ship, survived. His name is Murphy, brilliantly played by Peter O'Toole. Having lived through the terrifying ordeal, many would believe, one should be glad to be alive and to seek a safe distance between himself and the deadly submarine. That is not the conclusion of seaman Murphy who believes the only way he will be able to rid himself of the nightmarish screams of his dying comrades is to seek out and destroy the German U-Boat. This might be a death-wish to some, but not to Murphy who believes that regardless of the inevitable outcome of the war, his sole purpose in life is revenge. Trying to convince him of this mad adventure is Dr. Hayden (Sian Phillips) a female doctor working among the tribal people of the Amazon. In addition, Murphy not only discovers a repairable English sea-plane, but an amiable, aging and exhausted Oil company employee, named Louis Brezon. (Philippe Noiret) Louie has worked in the forgotten, backwaters of the Amazon for years, patiently waiting the end of the war. Now with Murphy seeking his help and relentless revenge, Louie offer's a bit of sound advice. "You're a small and lonely man Murphy, like me, the world will never build us a monument. The only difference is; I know that." Thus the confrontation between the obsessed man and the powerful Submarine easilly become classic drama. ****

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13 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Some of the best flying sequences ever filmed, 11 April 2006

Author: mearcam from Australia

"Some of the best flying sequences ever filmed". With a leader like that, you couldn't miss it! Sit back, turn up the volume and watch Peter O'Toole's character attempt to lift off an aeroplane when he has never flown one before.

It's the roaring sound of the aeroplane engine that does it. No other movie has given me the same realism of flying, because no other movie produces such a mind numbing loud and realistic engine sound. And when he get's it up in the air, how O'Toole depicts the shear joy of flying. It's all so exciting because of the sense of realism. Remember, turn up the volume.

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10 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Fun to work on., 16 March 2009

Author: (harryfielder@aol.com)

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

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12 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
An old favorite of mine, 24 April 2006

Author: stewardia from USA

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.

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12 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Very different war movie, 10 October 2000

Author: Chris Wahlin from Umea, Sweden

I´ve happened to see this film quite a few times over the years. It´s still one of the best I´ve seen, thanks to the great acting from Peter O'Toole and the other cast too.

The story itself, is maybe not too complex, but the excellent acting makes this one very different. Peters way of portraying someone totally consumed with the idea of revenge, is awesome.. and that accent of his is always nice :-)

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9 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Mad Irishman Revenges self on Sub, 13 April 2006

Author: Raegan Butcher from Rain City, Pacific Northwest

Crusty Irish Seaman (ooooh that just sounds wrong!) Peter O'Toole swears vengeance upon the nasty German U-boat that sinks 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.

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11 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
No cliches, gripping stuff., 20 October 2001

Author: caprice-1 from England

I don't know why I've never seen this film before as it must have been on TV many times. A modern day remake would probably have the Peter O Toole and Sian Phillips characters falling in love or whatever but the ending to Murphy was a surprise to me as I expected the "happy ending". I thought the film was unique in some regards to the genre, beautiful location and well acted by all the cast. Just watch Murphy's eye twitching in the opening sequences. Peter O Toole is without a doubt one of the best actors ever. I also think this is one of the best films ever made, well written and executed.

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8 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Stubborn dedication to "Supreme Sacrifice"!, 2 September 2003

Author: dougandkathi212 from Springfield, MO

This movie constitutes the great and sometimes troublesome qualities that are brought out in war. The message of this movie, I feel is of total loyalty to comrades and unfailing sacrifice to redeem them. This movie is about war on the side-lines and the true and personal nature of such. The story, cast and location are simply superb. We, hopefully, will never see such days of immense hurt and anguish on such a global theater. One can only imagine now, what it must have been like to fight and die for such basic principles to be applied in the nature of friend and foe at such a period in time. Peter O'Toole pegged it perfectly.-dfm

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10 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
sweet revenge for a mad Irishman, 3 August 2004
Author: jkholman from Whaleyville, VA

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.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
A memorable tale of the best kind of hero...a flawed one, 19 January 2009

Author: William Dais from United States

Murphy's War is one of my top 50 most loved films, and I've watched A LOT of films, in all genres. When a film with a straightforward narrative, and a relatively simple plot with very few characters can rivet you to your seat right until the end, you have a hell of a story on your hands! The wide 2.35:1 format and outstanding cinematography by Oscar winner Douglas Slocombe are ideally matched to the location and type of action. And the reviewer who thinks the role of Murphy isn't suited for Peter O'Toole should have his head examined! O'Toole IS Murphy as much as he IS Lawrence of Arabia. Murphy's progression deeper and deeper into a vengeance-clouded mania is masterfully accomplished; he's in good company here, along with Gregory Peck's Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, Spencer Tracy's Old Man in The Old Man and the Sea, and Robert Shaw's Captain Quint in Jaws, O'Toole's tenacious Irishman Murphy is an inspiration easily absorbed and applied to all situations in which one may be considered the underdog by a wide margin. In other words, Murphy isn't an ironic post modern anti-hero. He's the old fashioned everyman, overcoming incredible odds to achieve his ends kind of hero. One could critique the film from sociological or psychological perspectives, and question whether the screenwriter intended for Murphy to symbolize the evil war can bring out in man, or the greatness, or both. But without reading anything into it, Murphy's War is on a primary level simply a terrific action yarn, well worth owning on DVD.

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