Morituri

WWII suspense/drama about a freighter in the Pacific with Brando and Brynner

A German expatriate pacifist (Marlon Brando) is forced to pose as an SS Standard Leader for the purpose of disabling the scuttling charges on a merchant ship carrying rubber vital to the German war effort. Yul Brynner plays the disillusioned captain (Mueller), Martin Benrath the gun-ho first officer (Kruse), Janet Margolin an abused Jewess captive (Esther) and Hans Christian Blech a notable crewman (Donkeyman).

Released in 1965 and unfortunately shot in B&W, “Morituri” is a suspense/drama taking place almost entirely on the freighter in the Pacific. The first 50 minutes are kinda meh as “Mr. Kyle” (Brando) sneaks around the ship disabling explosives and it’s not very believable. From there, though, the dramatics get interesting as suspense builds to an unexpected climax. Margolin’s character is desirable, but sad.

The inscrutable title comes from the Latin morituri te salutant meaning “We who are about to die salute you.” At the end of the day “Morituri” is a must for fans of Brando or Brynner, not to mention those interested in 60’s WWII flicks. While not great, it’s a worthwhile antidote to modern blockbuster drivel (speaking as someone who enjoys a CGI-laden blockbuster now and then).

The film runs 2 hours, 3 minutes.

GRADE: B/B-

"Crain" (Marlon Brando) is quietly sitting out WWII at his home in India when he gets a visit from the "Col. Statter" (Trevor Howard) who delivers a few home truths in order to get him to volunteer to help commandeer a ship loaded with rubber leaving Japan and heading to Nazi controlled Bordeaux. His task is to use his expertise to disable the scuttling explosives hard-wired aboard in the event of any aggressor interfering with it's journey. As it happens, the newly appointed captain of the boat - "Mueller" (Yul Brynner) - is not best pleased at having his crew supplemented by a group of ne'er-do-wells that would not have looked out of place with "Long John Silver". "Crain - now called "Kyle" must find out where the bombs are located and disable them without being spotted and when he discovers that the design of the ship will make that impossible on his own, he has to find help... Who to turn to? As the journey progresses the relationship between him an in increasingly suspicious captain, crew and some newly acquired passengers becomes crucial to his success. Bernhard Wicki makes the most of the cast he has and there is a strong sense of accumulating menace as pretty much everyone starts to suspect the others and control of the boat becomes distinctly precarious. Brando is on good form, as in Brynner and there are solid supporting efforts from Hans Christian Blech and from Martin Bebrath's executive officer "Kruse". The narrative takes a swipe at the Nazi party's obsessive control freakery and Jerry Goldsmith has written a score that works the tension well as the denouement - and not one I was expecting - looms large. Rarely seen nowadays, and folks unschooled in Latin might be put off by the title - but it is well worth a watch.