I can't make up my mind how I feel about Murphy's War. It is a simple story - Murphy is the sole survivor of a German U-Boat attack where the Germans make a point of making sure there are no survivors. Ending up on the remote Brazilian coast while the U-Boat undertakes repairs up-river, Murphy decides to refurbish a derelict seaplane in order to bomb and sink the U-Boat. His plans continue even after hostilities cease.
Peter O'Toole plays the obsessed Murphy in another definitive performance 9 years after his career-establishing Lawrence. His support, all excellent, comprise then-wife Sian Phillips as a doctor servicing the local tribe, Philippe Noiret as a stranded engineer, and Horst Janson as the U-Boat commander. But this is O'Toole's film.
There is an odd conflict here between, on the one hand, the gorgeous scenery and exhilarating flying sequences and, on the other hand, the underlying story and the unattractiveness of Murphy's character and obsession. It is a worthwhile film but I was far from sure whether I had actually enjoyed it.
Peter O'Toole plays the obsessed Murphy in another definitive performance 9 years after his career-establishing Lawrence. His support, all excellent, comprise then-wife Sian Phillips as a doctor servicing the local tribe, Philippe Noiret as a stranded engineer, and Horst Janson as the U-Boat commander. But this is O'Toole's film.
There is an odd conflict here between, on the one hand, the gorgeous scenery and exhilarating flying sequences and, on the other hand, the underlying story and the unattractiveness of Murphy's character and obsession. It is a worthwhile film but I was far from sure whether I had actually enjoyed it.