Review of Morituri

Superb war drama with Marlon Brando giving an excellent performance as a self described "German patriot" hired, by British colonel Trevor Howard, to infiltrate a Nazi ship carrying rubber essential to the allies. Brando poses as a top ranking officer of the SS to fool Yul Brynner's crew. Whilst Brando is undertstandably brilliant, Martin Benrath stands out as Kruse, a Nazi crewmember who gets increasingly uncomfortable when Janet Margolin's beautiful Jewish aid-worker is taken prisoner aboard the ship. Jerry Golsmith's score is very memorable and the opening theme is reminiscent of Anton Karas's composition for The Third Man. The photography is shadowy and moody, adding a tense atmosphere to the proceedings particularly to the exciting and shocking climax to the film. My only criticism's are that, at first, Brynner is not that convincing and the film seems a tad overlong, even if it is only two hours. Still, this a a riveting piece of cinema.

4/5