BY LEE PFEIFFER
Twilight Time has released the 1965 WWII espionage thriller "Morituri" as a region-free, limited edition (3,000 units) Blu-ray edition. The film represents yet another gem from Marlon Brando's "lost decade" of films that were bookended by the massive failure of "Mutiny on the Bounty" in 1962 and his triumphant starring role in "The Godfather" ten years later. During those years, Brando's films were largely disparaged by critics and ignored by his former fans. Ironically, many of these productions were very good indeed and Brando often gave some of the most intriguing performances of his career. "Morituri" paired Brando with Yul Brynner, another Hollywood legend with a penchant for being difficult to work with. Brynner was known for making demands of producers that rivaled that of the King of Siam while Brando engaged in a penchant for making last minute changes to the script that often put him at odds with the cast and crew. Such was the case on this film, which is a moody, B&W production that is by necessity claustrophobic in nature as virtually all of the action takes place aboard a ship. The film opens with Robert Crain (Brando) being paid a visit by a British Intelligence office, Colonel Statter (Trevor Howard, who reconciled with Brando after griping about his work habits on "Mutiny on the Bounty"). Crain is posing as a Swiss national and living out the war in India, leading a carefree life of leisure. He also happens to be a munitions expert and Statter reveals that the Brits are aware that Crain is actually living under an assumed name, having deserted the German SS a couple of years before. He offers Crain a proposition: agree to go on a possible suicide mission or be placed in the hands of German forces who are eager to have him in custody in return for the release of a high-profile British prisoner. Crain's mission is to pose as an SS man and board a German freighter that is carrying a precious load of valuable raw materials to occupied France. The Allies want to capture the goods or at least destroy them before they can reach the Germans. Crain is to try to somehow disable the explosive devices hidden within the ship that are designed to scuttle the craft in the event of capture, thus allowing the Allies to intercept the vessel and take the cargo. Left with a Hobson's Choice, Crain reluctantly agrees.
The captain of the freighter is Mueller (Brynner), a career sailor whose reputation has been tarnished due to a scandal. The German high command have given him another chance for redemption by ordering him to deliver the goods to France by navigating through waters that are filled with Allied submarines on the prowl. Mueller considers himself to be a loyal German (his son is an esteemed naval captain) but he balks at the brutality of the Nazi regime. Thinking Crain is actually an SS officer, he takes an immediate dislike to him and suspects he is there to spy on his movements for the German brass. Crain immediately sets out to disable the scuttling systems on the ship but finding the hidden boxes proves to be an arduous and dangerous task. Meanwhile, an unexpected boarding by two German naval officers results in their expressing skepticism about Crain's real identity. With his mission and life in mortal danger, Crain attempts to rally disaffected crew members to take control of the ship in alliance with some American prisoners who are also being transported.
"Morituri"'s title derives from a vow taken by gladiators to Caesar
in ancient Rome: "We who are about to die salute you." This may have
been intriguing to scholars of ancient Rome but it left audiences
bewildered and the film sank at the boxoffice. To attempt to salvage it,
Fox amended the title to the equally clunky "The Saboteur- Code Name
Morituri", which didn't exactly roll off anyone's tongue. Nevertheless,
the film benefits from an engrossing screenplay by Daniel Taradash and
first-rate direction by Bernhard Wicki. The film received two Oscar
nominations in the B&W category for Conrad Hall's impressive
cinematography and for costume design, which seems bizarre since
everyone in the film is either attired in ragged clothing or standard
German military uniforms. There is also another excellent score by Jerry
Goldsmith, who was creating some dynamic compositions for Fox films
during this period of his career. Brando and Brynner, both playing
complex characters, rise to the occasion with fine performances.
"Morituri" is a film steeped in the cynicism of its characters. Crain is
ostensibly the hero, but he is motivated purely by self-preservation.
Colonel Statter regards his cynicism with contempt and cynicism of his
own. Mueller is ostensibly a loyal German nationalist but his cynicism
towards the cruelties imposed by his government rises as the story
progresses. The sole female character in the film, Esther (well-played
by Janet Margolin) is a young Jewish woman being transported to a death
camp. When both Crain and Mueller show her compassion, she responds
cynically, chillingly telling them that she has been the victim of
sexual torture, having been gang-raped in succession by seventeen German
officers and forced to perform sex acts with her brother for their
amusement. (This was pretty adult fare for a film made in 1965). Even
the American POWs are cynical. When Crain and Esther try to rally them
in an attempt to take control of the ship, they defer and say they'd
rather take their chances in a German prison camp. There are fine
supporting performances by the great German character actor Hans
Christian Blech and Martin Benrath as the ship's first officer, a Nazi
purest who is at odds with Mueller's compassionate nature. Brando's old
friend and former roommate in their younger years, Wally Cox, is very
good in a rare dramatic role as the ship's dope-addicted doctor.
The Twilight Time Blu-ray is first-rate even though it lacks any
bonus extras except for a teaser trailer, regular trailer and the usual
informative notes in a collector's booklet by Julie Kirgo. Highly
recommended.
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