Having just sat through a terrible performance by Marlon Brando in "The Missouri Breaks", I probably was not terribly inclined to enjoy him in "Morituri". It's just that although I've seen and reviewed a ton of films, I really haven't seen too many of Brando's and thought I'd give a few a try.
Fortunately, Brando's performance was very muted--perhaps a little too muted at times. But, he was not a deficit in the film and his German accent sounded okay to me--though I'd love to hear what some Germans think of his efforts in this regard.
The film begins with a British officer (Trevor Howard) blackmailing Brando into helping the Allies capture a shipment of rubber. His job is to pretend to be an SS passenger and disarm the system for scuttling the vessel should there be an attempt to seize it. Naturally, this is NOT as easy as it sounds (and it doesn't sound easy) and there are lots of complications. In addition to Brando, Yul Brynner plays the captain and Janet Margolin as rather shrill lady prisoner. None of it is the least bit brilliant and the Captain seems a bit revisionist in style, but it's a pleasant little war film...plus it IS different. Worth seeing but certainly not a must-see.
By the way, towards the end is some music that sounds inspired by that in "Psycho". What do you think?
Fortunately, Brando's performance was very muted--perhaps a little too muted at times. But, he was not a deficit in the film and his German accent sounded okay to me--though I'd love to hear what some Germans think of his efforts in this regard.
The film begins with a British officer (Trevor Howard) blackmailing Brando into helping the Allies capture a shipment of rubber. His job is to pretend to be an SS passenger and disarm the system for scuttling the vessel should there be an attempt to seize it. Naturally, this is NOT as easy as it sounds (and it doesn't sound easy) and there are lots of complications. In addition to Brando, Yul Brynner plays the captain and Janet Margolin as rather shrill lady prisoner. None of it is the least bit brilliant and the Captain seems a bit revisionist in style, but it's a pleasant little war film...plus it IS different. Worth seeing but certainly not a must-see.
By the way, towards the end is some music that sounds inspired by that in "Psycho". What do you think?