Morituri (1965)

67% of users liked it
(836 ratings)

Bernhard Wicki directed this hard-hitting World War II espionage drama. Marlon Brando plays Robert Crain, a German deserter who is coerced by British Intelligence officer Colonel Statter (Trevor Howard) to impersonate a Gestapo officer in order to get aboard a German blockade runner that is… More Bernhard Wicki directed this hard-hitting World War II espionage drama. Marlon Brando plays Robert Crain, a German deserter who is coerced by British Intelligence officer Colonel Statter (Trevor Howard) to impersonate a Gestapo officer in order to get aboard a German blockade runner that is conveying a valuable rubber cargo from the Orient. Crain's assignment is to save the rubber by finding a way to deactivate the explosives that the ship's captain would use to destroy the ship if captured by the enemy. Crain finds his way aboard the ship, but the ship's commander Captain Mueller (Yul Brynner), skeptical of the Nazis, refuses to let Crain out of his sight. When survivors of a sunken vessel board the ship, and Crain realizes that his identity may be exposed by two rescued German submarine officers, he incites Mueller's officers and the new arrivals to mutiny before his true identity is revealed. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Directed By: Bernhard Wicki
Genres: Drama, Classics

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1965 Wide
On DVD: May 25, 2004

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Brando gives a powerful performance as a German deserter in this fact-based WWII drama, which was underestimated at the time.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A tense sea adventure.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Contando com o sempre fascinante Brando, o filme traz Brynner vivendo um personagem ambíguo e se beneficia de um roteiro complexo no qual os personagens estão sempre trocando de aliados. Pena que a conclusão seja tão improvável.

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Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Walter M

In "Morituri," Captain Mueller(Yul Brynner) is incensed at having been demoted to being skipper of a boat taking 7000 tons of rubber to German occupied France, not to mention the political prisoners that will also be working in the engine room. To keep him placated, his… More
In "Morituri," Captain Mueller(Yul Brynner) is incensed at having been demoted to being skipper of a boat taking 7000 tons of rubber to German occupied France, not to mention the political prisoners that will also be working in the engine room. To keep him placated, his superiors threaten him with wrecking his son's career if he does not cooperate. He would be even less happier if he knew that his new political officer is actually Robert Crain(Marlon Brando), a German engineer who deserted on the eve of war to India where he is being gleefully blackmailed by Colonel Statter(Trevor Howard). He not only wants the rubber to not reach its intended destination, but also wants the Allies to have it, ordering Crain to scuttle the scuttling devices, of which he has no idea where on board they might be. There is a great movie in "Morituri" just waiting to get out but it just does not entirely pull it off and put all of the pieces together. However, it is fun watching Brando and Brynner play a high stakes game of cat and mouse between two characters who are in the same boat, so to speak. So, on the one hand, there is a lot of old fashioned intrigue, but in the last half hour, reality creeps steadily in, almost from another movie entirely. I know this is meant to give the pacifist Crain a sense of purpose, but he seems to be doing pretty well up until then. The movie made in 1965, might have included this more as information intended towards the audience which might have been more ignorant of the Holocaust than we are now.
Mike T

An underrated gem in Brando's career that presents an astute approach to character dynamics and suspense. Directed and photographed with expertise, this is a top-notch espionage thriller that engages from its first scene until the grim conclusion. Marlon Brando's understated… More
An underrated gem in Brando's career that presents an astute approach to character dynamics and suspense. Directed and photographed with expertise, this is a top-notch espionage thriller that engages from its first scene until the grim conclusion. Marlon Brando's understated performance is also immensely underappreciated, and Yul Brynner does a great job too.

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Cast

Marlon Brando
as Robert Crain
Yul Brynner
as Capt. Muller
Janet Margolin
as Esther
Trevor Howard
as Col. Statler
Marlin Beneath
as Kruse
Hans Christian Blech
as Donkeyman
Wally Cox
as Dr. Ambach
Max Haufler
as Branner
Rainer Penkert
as Milkereit
William Redfield
as Baldwin
Oscar Beregi Sr.
as Admiral
Martin Brandt
as Nissen
Charles de Vries
as Kurz
Carl Esmond
as Busch
Martin Kosleck
as Wilke
Norbert Schiller
as Steward
Rick Traeger
as Crew Member
Ivan Triesault
as Lt. Brandt
Gregg Barton
Hal Bokar
Eric Braeden
as Radio Operator
Gary Crosby
as Ens. Sloan
Gene Dynarski
Jimmy Goodwin
Roy Jenson
Buck Kartalian
Robert Kino
as Capt. Hatsuma
Manfred Lating
as Lutz
John Logan
David Manley
Keith McConnell
as Englishman
Rollin Moriyama
as Japanese Tug Pilot
Henry Rowland
Gilchrist Stuart
George Takei
as Junior Officer
Wilhelm von Homburg
Rick Weber
as Crew Member
Rusty Wescoatt
as Members of U.S. Merchant Marine
William White
as Williams
Bob Wilke
as Cmdr. Kelling
Paul Baxley
Harold Dyrenforth
as Cornelson
Frank London
Yvon Arai
as Japanese Officer
Harold Goodwin

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Morituri (1965)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Walter M

Mike T

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