Murphy's War

1971 | 107 minutes | 6.1 ★ (74)

Murphy's War
  • Overview

    Murphy is the sole survivor of his crew, that has been massacred by a German U-Boat in the closing days of World War II. He is rescued, and ends up at a forgotten mission station near the mouth of the Orinoco, and begins to plot his vengeance. He wishes to sink the U-Boat by means of any method imaginable to him, and sets about to make the courageous attempt, assisted by Louis, the administrator of the local oil company.

  • Release Date

    27 January 1971

  • DirectingPeter Yates
  • Budget

    $0.00

  • Revenue

    $0.00

  • Stars

Videos

User Reviews

See more
W

Wuchak

23 June 2021

_**WW2 tale of revenge in… Venezuela?**_ Near the end of WW2, a U-boat attack on the Orinoco River, Venezuela, leaves only one survivor, an Irish seaman (Peter O'Toole). After recovering at a Quaker mission, he intends on finding the Germans responsible and wiping them off the face of the Earth. Sian Phillips plays the Quaker doctor, Philippe Noiret a helpful local and Horst Janson the German captain. Directed by Peter Yates, “Murphy’s War” (1971) is a gritty realistic WW2 flick in the tradition of “The African Queen” (1951) with the German U-boat crew similar to those in “The Land that Time Forgot” (1977), albeit without the puppet dinosaurs of course. Like those films, and “The Eagle has Landed” (1977), the story addresses peripheral events of the war rather than major battles in mainland Europe or the South Pacific. The simple, almost mundane tale emphasizes how the horrors of war can affect serene remote areas, as well as the inherent problems of retaliation and mad obsession. It also reflects on war having context: During a declared war killing is appropriate, but when the war has officially ended, it’s not. Yet some people are too emotionally tied to the horrors of the war they can’t let it go. The film runs 1 hour, 47 minutes and was shot in Puerto Ordaz & Orinoco River, Venezuela, with studio stuff done in England. GRADE: B-/B

More Like This

A History of Violence

A History of Violence

An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.

See more
Gladiator

Gladiator

In the year 180, the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius throws the Roman Empire into chaos. Maximus is one of the Roman army's most capable and...

See more
Freaks

Freaks

A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him...

See more
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically-skilled, teenage nobleman's daughter, who is...

See more
48 Hrs.

48 Hrs.

A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.

See more
Rytíř

Rytíř

Climbing Paradise

Climbing Paradise

The story of the dramatic fate of the Czech climber Josef speck and his comrades, executed by the Nazis in April 1945 in Theresienstadt.

See more
To Be or Not to Be

To Be or Not to Be

During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.

See more
The Godfather Part II

The Godfather Part II

In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone...

See more
Zatoichi

Zatoichi

Blind traveler Zatoichi is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games. When he arrives in a village torn apart by...

See more
Mrs. Meitlemeihr

Mrs. Meitlemeihr

Hitler escapes the war to London, where he lives as Mrs. Meitlemeihr, in this what-if black comedy from commercial director Graham Rose.

See more
Black Lolita

Black Lolita

A singer returns to her hometown and puts together a team of fighters to go after local gangsters.

See more
Impact

Impact

New York City is in a panic caused by an insane murderer; Maria, a police officer is entrusted with the case; to do this, she pretends to be a...

See more
Mŕtvi maturovať nebudú

Mŕtvi maturovať nebudú

Munich

Munich

During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black...

See more
Downfall

Downfall

In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the east and the Allied Expeditionary Force attacking...

See more
Life Is Beautiful

Life Is Beautiful

A touching story of an Italian book seller of Jewish ancestry who lives in his own little fairy tale. His creative and happy life would come to an...

See more
Take Care of Ulla

Take Care of Ulla

Ulla and Gunnar meet and fall in love in Stockholm in the late 1930s. Early in their relationship Ulla discovers that she is pregnant but she...

See more
None So Blind

None So Blind

Aaron Abrams' daughter Rachel died broken-hearted after her marriage was cruelly annulled by her father-in-law Roger Mortimer, and so years later...

See more
Gandhi

Gandhi

In the early years of the 20th century, Mohandas K. Gandhi, a British-trained lawyer, forsakes all worldly possessions to take up the cause of...

See more