the audience applauded

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Boring

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Blackmailed into impersonating an SS officer so that he can sabotage a Nazi cargo ship, a German expatriate gradually discovers that the ruthless ship captain detests the war just as much as him in this striking World War II thriller. The film bombed upon initial release and has since slid into relative obscurity - something often attributed to the obtuse title - which is a shame, since it is a commendable effort with all concerned in top form. Marlon Brando carries a credible German accent and Janet Margolin has some strong scenes as a Jewish woman rescued from a U-boat, however, the film absolutely belongs to Yul Brynner as the ship's captain, only ever-so-gradually humanised with his unrequited affection for Margolin and his coming to see Brando's saboteur as a friend. The film does not exactly spin an airtight story and Brando's absolute ease in impersonating an SS officer never quite rings true; the fact that he never seems that nervous or worried about being found out also renders his character less interesting. There is, however, a lot to like in the similarities that Brando and Brynner soon find with one another, both resentful of the Nazis, albeit for different reasons. The film also benefits from one of Jerry Goldsmith's most rousing scores and Conrad L. Hall's Oscar nominated mobile cinematography admirably brings the enclosed ship environment to life.

An exciting spy thriller, produced on a remarkably lavish budget. Filming aboard a real freighter adds tremendously to the film's sense of authenticity and realism. The spectator really feels caught up in the events on the screen. Skillful performances help a lot here. Although Marlon Brando is still inclined to mumble — with a German accent yet — one soon forgets about his mannerisms and concentrates on the double role he is playing. Other performers also register strongly, particularly Yul Brynner as the principled captain, Martin Benrath as his unprincipled first officer, Hans Christian Blech as a mutinous donkeyman, Oscar Beregi as the suspicious Admiral and Janet Margolin whose portrayal of a girl with a death wish is one of the film's most memorable. Actually it is wrong to describe the performances with a single adjective, as each contributes a rounded, realistic portrait. One of the signs that the film is adapted from a novel is this development of characters who are realistically sketched with more than one side to their nature. This characterization is preserved in Daniel Taradash's concentrated screenplay. Most of the action takes place on the freighter. In fact, the introductory scenes are a trifle slow and one was evidently designed to build up a role for Trevor Howard whose part is confined to the introduction. But once on board the freighter with the camera prowling down cramped companionways and infiltrating the greasy, grime-laden passages of the engine room, excitement mounts both from the interplay of character and external action.Bernhard Wicki's direction is extremely capable and uses his real locations most effectively. The action scenes are thrillingly handled with some spectacular explosions and extras milling about realistically, topped by some breathtakingly effective tracking and crane shots obviously filmed from a helicopter. Conrad Hall's atmospheric black-and-white photography, is, despite the hazardous conditions of filming in confined quarters, technically flawless. Composer Jerry Goldsmith has contributed a haunting leitmotif, the sets are enormous and realistic, the film editing is as smooth as silk. Production values, as said, are exceptionally lavish. It's rather odd that a movie featuring two super-stars like Brynner and Brando seems to have disappeared. Even more odd, when that movie offers such terrific entertainment. Perhaps the title is no help. And of course it's in black-and-white!

I happen to like maritime tales and settings, so the previous reviewers' remarks about the engine room scenes being boring were actually fascinating to me (the reciprocating engines/engine room of this era ship is seldom seen). That said, the plot of this tale was a little busy for me...too many twists and turns, like it was racing from port to port to get as much in as possible. I love Brando and Brynner, and they don't disappoint: Brando's role as a German is as good as his similar role in "The Young Lions", which is to say outstanding. Brynner's tortured alcoholic skipper is equally rewarding. The introduction of a Jewish refugee--as a girl who survives by at once reviling sexual depredations forced on her by SS in her homeland and yet too quick to use her charms to manipulate her captors aboard ship--seems rather tawdry and gimmicky, to lure 60's era pubescent boys into the theatre. I found her Svengali-like "sex-stare" to unnerving and ridiculous. There are many good performances by several minor characters (the First Mate is one, Wally Cox anti-typecast as a morphine addict Ship's Doktor is another). GREAT cinematography--helo flying shots, wonderful angles). The end of the story is rather abrupt and unfulfilling...I thought perhaps they'd run out of cash. It appears they actually darned near destroyed an actual vintage freighter in the making of the movie...! All-in-all, a good sea yarn and war tale, but seemed to a vehicle to put Brynner and Brando together, with some gratuitous sex thrown in for those not viewers not attracted to the former virtues...

I saw this for the first time in 48 years on Netflix last night. The only visuals I remembered were 1-Janet Margolin with a bullet hole in her forehead 2-the Nazi assistant captain with a bloody forehead from banging on the ships side 3-the innovative(for 1965) helicopter wide shots.I had totally forgotten about the plot and any character development. Brando was coming off of some scathing reviews in "Mutiny on the Bounty" and "Ugly American" and was about to go southern in "The Chase" so definitely a low time for him. Yul was Yul and Wally "Mr. Peepers" Cox was playing lost again like he did in "The Bedford Incident". If this were made 5 years later Janet Margolin would probably have shown more skin and fared better than a few Woody Allen movies. Oh yes, Trevor Howard makes a cameo appearance as Trevor Howard. The Netflix print looked like it had been stored in the trunk of a 1963 Volkswagen at the neighborhood junk yard. Too bad because th B+W kind of gave it a Noirish tone. I don't know if it was B+W to save money or to create a mood or just to say it was Brando and Brynners last B+W movie.