Murphy's War

Peter O'Toole gets one of his more conventional vehicles with Murphy's War (1971). It's a fine if undistinguished wartime thriller, where solid action and good acting compensate for clunky dramatics.

Murphy (Peter O'Toole) is the sole survivor of a ship torpedoed by a U-Boat in the waning days of World War II. He winds up in coastal South America, nursed by Dr. Hayden (Sian Phillips) at a small mission. But the offending U-Boat turns up to destroy a radio station, the Captain (Horst Janson) executing a wounded English pilot (John Hallam). Murphy vows revenge, recovering the pilot's seaplane and enlisting a French captain (Philippe Noiret) to destroy the Germans.

Peter Yates makes Murphy's War enjoyable. War movie fans get their money's worth, with Yates mixing beautiful Venezuelan with violent action. Yates mixes conventional set pieces, like the Germans' violent shore raids, with more inventive fare, like Murphy's haphazard plane rides. The movie climaxes with an incredibly tense standoff; Murphy and Louis run down a fully-armed submarine with a ramshackle boat, dodging bullets and torpedoes but unsure how to vanquish their opponent. Yates' fascination with nuts-and-bolts mechanics, like Murphy's homemade bombs and shipboard mechanics, pays off handsomely.

Murphy's big problem lies between action scenes. Sterling Silliphant's script frequently bogs down, evincing a pace that's more pokey than engrossing. Murphy himself shifts between insouciant and implacable, with little effective transition; the supporting cast is even more thinly sketched. Presumably Silliphant meant an antiwar allegory, contrasting the greater conflict (heard through snatches of Edward R. Murrow broadcasts) with Murphy's petty vendetta. But any subtext or characterization is so scantily rendered, we're waiting impatiently for the next burst of violence.

Peter O'Toole does fine work, playing Murphy as a mix of Lord Jim and Paul Kersey. His trademark intensity commands the screen, though Murphy is far from his most effective characterization. Sian Phillips (Becket) does creditable work, avoiding all expected cliches in a decidedly unromantic part. Philippe Noiret (Topaz) gets the most interesting role, a practical man aloof from (but drawn into) Murphy's cycle of violence.

Murphy's War is an above-average war movie. It holds few surprises and occasionally drags, but should please viewers seeking colorful adventure.