Morituri

"Must mean something unusual"

1965 2h 3m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 95

ActionDramaThrillerWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Must mean something unusual”

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Cast

Marlon Brando
Robert Crain
Yul Brynner
Captain Müller
Janet Margolin
Esther
Trevor Howard
Colonel Statter
Martin Benrath
Kruse
Hans Christian Blech
Donkeyman
Wally Cox
Dr. Ambach
Max Haufler
Branner

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bernhard Wicki
Writers: Daniel Taradash
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

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

61 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bernhard Wicki, shot by Conrad Hall. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Original score by Jerry Goldsmith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner and Janet Margolin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Must mean something unusual".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0059470 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 95 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bernhard Wicki directs. Conrad Hall behind the camera. Jerry Goldsmith scores. Joseph Silver cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

161 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Bernhard Wicki, shot by Conrad Hall. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Jerry Goldsmith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Joseph Silver shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner and Janet Margolin carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Must mean something unusual".
7IMDB entry: tt0059470 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 95 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 20 themes, including "mutiny", "drowning", "submarine", "secret mission".

The technical file

Cinematography: Conrad Hall
Original score: Jerry Goldsmith
Editing: Joseph Silver
Makeup / hair: Ben Nye
Stunt coordinator: Paul Baxley
Runtime: 123 min · 2h 3m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Morituri (1965)

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Bernhard Wicki

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2019-01-01
★ 7/10
WWII suspense/drama about a freighter in the Pacific with Brando and Brynner A German expatriate pacifist (Marlon Brando) is forced to pose as an SS Standard Leader for the purpose of disabling the scuttling charges on a merchant ship carrying rubber vital to the German war effort. Yul Brynner plays the disillusioned captain (Mueller), Martin Benrath the gun-ho first officer (Kruse), Janet Margolin an abused Jewess captive (Esther) and Hans Christian Blech a notable crewman (Donkeyman). Released in 1965 and unfortunately shot in B&W, “Morituri” is a suspense/drama taking place almost entirely on the freighter in the Pacific. The first 50 minutes are kinda meh as “Mr. Kyle” (Brando) sneaks around the ship disabling explosives and it’s not very believable. From there, though, the dramatics get interesting as suspense builds to an unexpected climax. Margolin’s character is desirable, but sad. The inscrutable title comes from the Latin morituri te salutant meaning “We who are about to die salute you.” At the end of the day “Morituri” is a must for fans of Brando or Brynner, not to mention those interested in 60’s WWII flicks. While not great, it’s a worthwhile antidote to modern blockbuster drivel (speaking as someone who enjoys a CGI-laden blockbuster now and then). The film runs 2 hours, 3 minutes. GRADE: B/B-
CinemaSerf2022-11-10
★ 7/10
"Crain" (Marlon Brando) is quietly sitting out WWII at his home in India when he gets a visit from the "Col. Statter" (Trevor Howard) who delivers a few home truths in order to get him to volunteer to help commandeer a ship loaded with rubber leaving Japan and heading to Nazi controlled Bordeaux. His task is to use his expertise to disable the scuttling explosives hard-wired aboard in the event of any aggressor interfering with it's journey. As it happens, the newly appointed captain of the boat - "Mueller" (Yul Brynner) - is not best pleased at having his crew supplemented by a group of ne'er-do-wells that would not have looked out of place with "Long John Silver". "Crain - now called "Kyle" must find out where the bombs are located and disable them without being spotted and when he discovers that the design of the ship will make that impossible on his own, he has to find help... Who to turn to? As the journey progresses the relationship between him an in increasingly suspicious captain, crew and some newly acquired passengers becomes crucial to his success. Bernhard Wicki makes the most of the cast he has and there is a strong sense of accumulating menace as pretty much everyone starts to suspect the others and control of the boat becomes distinctly precarious. Brando is on good form, as in Brynner and there are solid supporting efforts from Hans Christian Blech and from Martin Bebrath's executive officer "Kruse". The narrative takes a swipe at the Nazi party's obsessive control freakery and Jerry Goldsmith has written a score that works the tension well as the denouement - and not one I was expecting - looms large. Rarely seen nowadays, and folks unschooled in Latin might be put off by the title - but it is well worth a watch.