Morituri (1965)

Yul Brynner: Captain Mueller

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Quotes 

• Captain Mueller : You're not very subtle, Mr Keil. But I must admire your courage.

  Robert Crain : You're the one with courage, Mueller. It takes real courage to see your son turn into a merciless fanatic and still believe in your mildewed concepts of the Fatherland. I envy you. I wish I had so much to believe in.

• Captain Mueller : When we reach Bordeaux, this report will be lost. And with luck, perhaps you will find a way to lose yourself there, too... I'm sorry. It's the most I can do.

  Esther Levy : Do you want to sleep with me? Or are you just doing this because you're kind-hearted?

  Captain Mueller : Young lady, even this kind of impudence will not stop me from treating you simply as another member of the human race.

• Captain Mueller : I have misjudged you, Mr. Keil. I never for one moment thought that you might try to save my life. You gentlemen of the SS don't usually display the humanity of a sand crab.

• Milkereit : [Saying out loud the message being relayed by the signal lamp from the submarine]  We'll continue to observe radio silence until after transfer of prisoners.

  Captain Mueller : [caught unawares]  *What* transfer of prisoners?

  Milkereit : Shall I send a reply, sir?

  Captain Mueller : Yes. Tell them Captain Mueller just jumped overboard.

• Captain Mueller : [Angrily storming into Adm. Wendel's office]  Admiral Wendel, in the Merchant Navy the captain chooses his own crew.

  Captain Mueller : [Glaring at Kruse]  What are you doing here?

  Captain Mueller : [Pulls a list of names out of his pocket]  I'll be damned if I'll ship with these! Two murderers. Two more, "Assault with deadly weapons." This one... "Theft of government property."

  Admiral : Another, an outright political enemy. It's also a good way to send these bastards to Germany, for the punishment they deserve.

  Captain Mueller : I'm sorry, I cannot accept them.

  Kruse : But they are only a handful, Captain...

  Captain Mueller : l don't want a handful of maggots in my soup!

• Robert Crain : [in the officer's mess: Crain, Capt. Mueller and Kruse are dining]  It's a long voyage, and I hope that we could find some common interest.

  Robert Crain : [motions to a nearby chess board]  Do you play the chess, sir?

  Captain Mueller : [curtly]  I do.

  Robert Crain : Well, then, we perhaps could have a game?

  Captain Mueller : [curtly]  Mr Keil, I have neither the time, nor the desire to play chess with you.

  Robert Crain : [slightly taken aback]  Captain Mueller... I'm not accustomed to unfriendliness, hmm? And, I quite frankly... I was really not prepared for it. Do you have some particular quarrel with SS, Captain?

  Captain Mueller : I'm sure that you SS gentlemen are very valuable on dry land. But on this ship I have a job to do.

  Robert Crain : But how does my being on board this ship affect your job?

  Captain Mueller : My crew. Word's gotten around that you're aboard, and they're scared to death.

  Robert Crain : [chuckles]  This is ridiculous.

  Captain Mueller : Ridiculous or not, I shall have to ask you to confine yourself to your cabin, the deck, and the salon. I don't want you to interfere with their work or mine.

  Robert Crain : Do you mean... am I to understand that I will not be free to, to walk around the ship?

  Captain Mueller : Yes, just that. The Admiralty described you as a passenger. So you will have all the privileges and the restrictions of a passenger.

  Robert Crain : They failed to describe the captain as not only foolish but ill-mannered.

  Captain Mueller : Well, that's their blunder.

  Robert Crain : Captain Mueller, I don't have to put up with this sort of rudeness and I would like to suggest that you show a little more respect for me, for my authority, and for the organization that I represent.

  Captain Mueller : I am the master of this ship. You're under MY authority here.

  Robert Crain : [stands up, pulls a notepad out of his pocket]  Mr. Kruse, you will attest that the captain is not only insulting, but uncooperative. I will make a full report of this when we reach Bordeaux, hmm?

  Captain Mueller : Bordeaux? The only report I care about - IF we reach Bordeaux - is that Captain Mueller brought the "Ingo" on a 15,000 mile journey through enemy waters with a precious cargo, successfully. Even if he didn't play chess on the way.

  Robert Crain : I hoped that our relations would be pleasant but I see that they won't. Good night.

  [turns and leaves] 

• Kruse : Captain! Captain, there's a destroyer. Heading straight for us.

  Captain Mueller : [Both men peer at it through their binoculars]  American. Benson class.

  Kruse : Four guns, 10 torpedo tubes... Makes 36 knots.

  Captain Mueller : [slight sarcasm]  Good. Send them a citation.

• Captain Mueller : Whatever else I am, I am not a traitor.