It's a bit confusing for we Brits.One minute there were millions of Nazis,the next you couldn't find one with a telescope and a sniffer dog. In "Morituri" we have two pointedly non - Nazis,Mr M. Brando and Mr Y. Brynner engaged in a duel to decide the fate of Mr Brynner's ship's cargo which is wanted by the Allies.Mr Brando has been coerced by British Intelligence,Mr Brynner by his patriotism and his sense of duty. Herr Wicki - perhaps preaching to the converted - is clearly saying that Nazis were a"bad thing" and is anxious to distance himself and the majority of Germans from them,hence Mr Brynner - despite loving the Vaterland - is determinedly apolitical. We have his ship as a microcosm of German society,its cargo - the German people - needing to be saved from destruction by their own leaders by patriotic non - Nazis (Brynner and Brando ). Gallant self - sacrifice is required to save the ship/country of course, and,cometh the hour,cometh the man. Some may think Bernhard Wicki is attempting to defend the indefensible. A mere 20 years after the end of the second world war, memories of the German people's happy acceptance of the status quo until it looked like they might actually lose were too fresh for this to cut too much ice. Consequently "Morituri" was not popular with contemporary audiences. In 2007 we may take a less judgemental view of this embarrassing blip in German history and recognise the film's undoubted merits - two meaty performances from actors who were no strangers to ham but knew the difference between the two. Bad history then,but interesting nonetheless as an opportunity to see two wildly contrasting actors -one about to descend from the peak for ever,the other about to take a long sabbatical - going head - to - head.
Review of Morituri
