Murphy's War

"World War Two was just ending. World War Murphy is about to begin."

1971 1h 47m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 103

DramaWar

Synopsis

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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.

“World War Two was just ending. World War Murphy is about to begin.”

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Cast

Peter O'Toole
Murphy
Siân Phillips
Hayden
Philippe Noiret
Brezan
Horst Janson
Lauchs
John Hallam
Ellis
Ingo Mogendorf
Voght
John Clifford
German Submarine Crewman (uncredited)
Harry Fielder
German Submarine Crewman (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Peter Yates
Writers: Stirling Silliphant
Languages: English, German
Countries: United Kingdom, Venezuela

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

55 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, Venezuela.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Peter Yates, shot by Douglas Slocombe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Frank P. Keller shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Peter O'Toole and Siân Phillips and Philippe Noiret carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "World War Two was just ending. World War Murphy is about to begin.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0067458 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Peter Yates directs. Douglas Slocombe behind the camera. Frank P. Keller cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, Venezuela. Dialogue in English, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

155 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, German.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, Venezuela.
4Directed by Peter Yates, shot by Douglas Slocombe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Frank P. Keller shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Peter O'Toole and Siân Phillips and Philippe Noiret carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "World War Two was just ending. World War Murphy is about to begin.".
8IMDB entry: tt0067458 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Editing: Frank P. Keller
Makeup / hair: Gordon Bond
Stunt coordinator: Bob Simmons
Runtime: 107 min · 1h 47m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Murphy's War (1971)

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Peter Yates

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2020-09-14
★ 6/10
WW2 tale of revenge in… Venezuela? 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 war 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

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