This “Limited Edition” Blu-ray from Arrow Video is currently available for purchase.
It’s always a delight when a distributor brings attention to a long-forgotten film with an unexpected release on disc. This reviewer has seen many titles from the 1970s onward, but the big-budget UK/US production of Murphy’s War somehow escaped him for all these years. The movie was released by Paramount Pictures and wasn’t able to find an audience upon its initial release. As a result, it became something of an obscurity, but after all this time Arrow Video are now reviving the film on Blu-ray. Thank goodness that more people can find and discover this remarkable effort.
Set at the very close of World War II, the story begins in Venezuela, with a British ship and its crew being sunk and viciously gunned down by a hidden Nazi U-boat. Irish crewman Murphy (Peter O’Toole) barely survives the violent ordeal. He is discovered near the ruins by Frenchman Louis Brezon (Phillipe Noiret), who takes him to a mission where he receives treatment by Dr. Hayden (Siân Phillips). Traumatized by the incident, he becomes determined to get revenge. His obsession pulls in Brezon, who helps the lead recover and rearm a damaged plane for a bombing run on the sub. Indeed, Murphy makes good on his plans, but doesn’t manage to sink the boat. U-boat Commander Lauchs (Horst Janson) sets out to find Murphy and the confrontations escalate, leaving collateral damage in the process. The war soon ends, but Murphy continues in his quest, despite protests from Dr. Hayden and Brezon.
While Venezuela did eventually declare war on Germany towards the very end of the conflict, one does have to suspend disbelief that this type of skirmish would have actually occurred in the area. Regardless, the settings are completely unique and engrossing to watch. Murphy has nothing to fight with and ultimately has to use a banged-up plane, before later borrowing his friend’s barge in order to continue the battle. The climactic skirmish between the rickety ship and U-boat on a shallow river is quite unlike anything I have seen before on film.
All of the action is tense thanks to the great sense of style from director Peter Yates (Bullitt, The Deep, Krull), as is the work of co-editors Frank P. Keller (Bullitt) and John Glen (who would later direct several James Bond films). Simply put, the visuals are dynamic to witness. There are incredibly dangerous looking flying stunts and much of the action is harrowing. Three-time Oscar nominee Douglas Slocombe (Dead of Night, King Hearts and Coronets, The Man in the White Suit, The Fearless Vampire Killers, The Italian Job, Jesus Christ Superstar, Rollerball, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) shot the movie in widescreen and there are remote Venezuelan vistas that haven’t been seen before on film. The shots are complex too and many stand out. For instance, there is a remarkable low-angle image of Murphy peering over the edge of the barge with a live torpedo hanging above from his ship’s rickety crane.
Of course, while the cinematography and editing are excellent, the performances are just as strong. O’Toole is compelling as Murphy, who has a charming sense of humor, but an increasingly obsessive streak that takes the character to a dark place. His initial fury is relatable and it’s interesting to see it all turn into an unnecessary quest for vengeance. Everyone in the movie makes a lasting impression, including Phillips as the doctor. She is the voice of reason who has to deal with all of the bloodshed that follows these conflicts. And Noiret is very likable as the Frenchman. This character has great admiration for Murphy at the beginning of the film and an idealized idea of war, which changes as he becomes personally involved. Overall, the movie does a great job noting that spiteful acts of violence don’t solve anything and only lead to more death and tragedy.
As mentioned, the Blu-ray transfer is excellent. It may not be a 4K restoration, but the picture still wows. The movie retains its film-like appearance, but is extremely clean and surprisingly sharp. It’s a movie that likely looked gorgeous in the cinema, but hasn’t ever since. The film now looks just as impressive as it would have on the big screen so many years ago.
The extras are also helpful in providing some background information. There is a visual essay on the movie by film critic David Caims and an archive interview with critic Sheldon Hall that detail how the picture got made. It seems director Yates was coming off the success of the 1967 heist movie Robbery, the classic Steve McQueen picture Bullitt and the 1969 critical hit drama John and Mary. He had some clout, so he and producer Michael Deeley were able to buy the rights to the source material, cast O’Toole and raise half of the large budget in the UK (with the other half coming from Paramount).
Screenwriter Stirling Silliphant (Village of the Damned, In the Heat of the Night, The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno) and Yates wanted to turn the source material into an antiwar war movie, but there were differences between the two and the producer about the final product.
Shooting in Venezuela also presented many problems. Apparently, there were difficulties in dealing with the government. The locations were incredibly remote and the entire group were going to be housed on an air-conditioned ship purchased specifically for the production. The boat was rickety and smelled horrible. The water level was also too shallow and the ship could not get to set, so the cast had to be taken by smaller boats each morning to shoot. Naturally, the sets were made up of ships of questionable seaworthiness and shooting on the water was a challenge.
Daily footage also had to be shipped to London for processing and then back to South America for editing. This and other issues resulted in cost overruns that almost led to the movie being shut down and then scrapped mid-shoot. Thankfully, when investors came down to visit the set and saw some of the footage put together, they allowed the production to continue.
Apparently, the biggest concern going in for all was the potentially rambunctious behavior of star O’Toole. According to reports, he was professional, kind, helpful and didn’t cause a single problem during the production. Some speculate that the casting of Siân Phillips (who was O’Toole’s wife) may have kept him happy and on his best behavior. No doubt he was also excited about the interesting part and being able to stretch his acting chops.
While the final result was incredible and the movie opened well in London, when the movie’s release expanded it bombed at the box office, particularly in the US. One of the critics suggests that World War II films had fallen out of fashion in the late 60s and early 70s and that it likely didn’t help that the story is dark and tragic. You never know, the movie might also have developed bad press and a notorious reputation as it was considered an out-of-control production. All of the stories and information about the movie is fascinating.
Additionally, there is a lengthy interview with John Glen, who was second unit director on the movie and co-edited it. He talks about his career and goes into working on Murphy’s War. He also has nice stories to tell about O”Toole and a funny anecdote about doing double-duty on this picture and other titles. Glen notes that it was great to do these two jobs at the same time because he could go through his own footage and edit out the bad material before anyone saw it.
There is also a fun archive interview with focus puller Robin Vidgeon who worked with Slocombe on the movie. He talks about their process and believes that feature may have been a little stronger in the past because filmmakers knew exactly what they wanted and actors would hit their marks perfectly (which focus pullers really like). He notes that the current process of using multiple cameras to shoot everything and then trying to piece it together afterward doesn’t benefit the moviemaker or audience.
Murphy’s War is a fantastic and memorable anti-war picture that looks absolutely incredible on Blu-ray. This reviewer is delighted to have finally been introduced to the picture and heartily recommends it to all movie enthusiasts.