Murphy's War (1971)

MURPHY’S WAR tells the story of the sole survivor of a World War II German U-boat attack that leaves him enraged and consumed with revenge.

HIGHLY ENTERTAINING!...ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR!

Peter O'Toole deserves much of the credit in this improbable but, entertaining tale of a lone survivor of a German Submarine attack who would like nothing more than to send those "Dirty b a s t a r d s!" to H E L L in a hand basket! This might be where Stallone got the idea for Rambo, even though the reason for Murphy's personal war was a little more valid than Rambo's. The DVD transfer looks very good and I'm glad this is available on DVD. November 13, 2007

Lawrence of Arabia takes on the Kriegsmarine

MURPHY'S WAR is an amusing World War II story in that it takes place far from Europe, the North Atlantic, or other venues where we are used to seeing the Allies battle the Germans. In this film we find a German U-Boat hunting targets off the coast and along the inlets of tropical Venezuela. The war in Europe is mere days from ending, yet the U-Boat commander shows no hint of reigning back his attacks. Against this submarine threat is one man, Murphy, with a thirst for revenge.

Peter O'Toole stars as the sole surviving crewman of a torpedoed merchant ship. After sinking the ship the U-Boat Kapitanleutnant orders the machine gunning of the survivors in an attempt to keep his submarine's location a secret. Murphy survives the massacre and makes it to shore where he is nursed back to health by a missionary. Already seeking revenge against the Germans for the demise of his crewmates, Murphy declares his own private war against the Kriegsmarine when an armed U-Boat shore party kills another surviving, though still seriously injured, pilot from the sunken ship.

The remainder of the film becomes a cat-and-mouse game between Murphy and the U-Boat. Murphy becomes so obsessed with the U-Boat that he eventually succeeds in destroying the submarine at the sacrifice of his own life.

The premise of the movie is actually based on real events. In 1944 U-Boat U-852 torpedoed a Greek steamer in the Indian Ocean. The U-Boat commander ordered the machine gunning of the survivors in an attempt to prevent anyone from disclosing the presence of a U-Boat in the Indian Ocean. However, there are often survivors from all massacres and one rescued individual had quite a tale to tell. The German submarine was subsequently attacked and forced to beach near Somalia where the crew was taken prisoner. The U-Boat commander was later tried for war crimes and hanged.

As such, the first few minutes of MURPHY'S WAR are believable. From that point the film moves into pure fiction. The problem is that the Germans scour the local fishing village for survivors of the sinking eventually executing one injured pilot. For some reason U-Boat men ignore that fact that if there was one survivor in the village the U-Boat, merchant sinking, and massacre story were probably already well known throughout the village.

We are presented with a lone village on the coast of (or somewhere near) Venezuela made even more isolated by the German destruction of the sole radio transmitter. For all intent and purpose the missionary, oil company caretaker, and the villagers are in virtual isolation until the end of the war. Do not bother torturing yourself with rhetorical questions as to why nobody set off through the jungle or along the coast for help. In order to accept the story you have to buy into a scenario where this tropical speck of the world is all that exists.

The film does not immediately give us a time frame for the story. It is not until the latter part of the film that it is disclosed that the war is nearing, and then arrives at, its end.

No matter what film I see him in, Peter O'Toole will always be T.E. Lawrence from LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. In many of his films he tends to play flighty-eccentric characters and MURPHY'S WAR is no exception. Murphy's final charge with the rusty barge against the heavily armed U-Boat reminded me his similar "No Prisoners" attack against the Turks in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA.

This is another of those films that you have to enjoy from beginning to end without interruption. The aerial U-Boat hunting scene, with Murphy as the self-taught pilot, is classic.

August 15, 2007

No review

When I ordered this DVD, you did warn me that possible I could not play this DVD in my region (The Netherlands). After receiving the DVD it became clear that your warning was right, so I cannot give a review. Do you know a method to see Murphy's War without going to the USA?
Sincerly,

C.A. Geuze
July 30, 2007

Long Dragged out and boring

This was a very poor story and it dragged out so long and was not very realistic. You have no idea where the story takes place and it was so unbelievable. Peter O'Toole is not much of an actor here, just goes about screaming like an idiot. I do not recommend this unless you are a O'Toole die hard. May 6, 2007

Typically Brit

Good story, good acting. Typically British, it forces you to think. The evil Germans murder survivors, but the Brit hero murders a crew of German submariners after the war is officially over. If you like your good guys and bad guys in black and white hats, the special effects full of mindless and gratuitous violence, gunplay and sex, the movie's not for you. February 23, 2007

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