On S List of Movie Reviews
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Ship of Fools (1965)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
10/11
10/11:
Ship of Fools is literally a ship of fools.
A washed-up ballplayer is a fool because he can't stop stalking women for sex.
A queen wannabe, which is probably true of Vivien Leigh in real life, is a fool because she thinks she's above everybody.
A proud patriot is a fool because he thinks he's the best German alive. His mistress is a fool because she thinks he exudes
power.
A Jewish is a fool because he can't understand how dangerous things will be in the future despite the anti-Semitic
talks.
An artist is a fool because he lets his meaningless art be the center of his life. His girlfriend is a fool because she
thinks living without him will be empty.
A doctor is a fool because a lady wants him for his drugs.
A countess is a fool because she's trying to make people feel sorry for her.
A captain is a fool because he thinks he knows everything.
A religious man is a fool because the bible is full of rubbish stories.
A dwarf is a fool because...hmm, that's tough to figure out.
However many characters there are on the ship, my favorite is Dr. Wilhelm Schumann who steals the film in every scene. He's
the only one who actually "gets" it. In a way, these fools are survivors of some sort.
What makes it so great, apart from the strong performances and the stimulating conversations, is the foreshadowing
of Nazism that'll take over Germany in the following decade. Hence, it's a haunting film. My favorite conversations are
between the countess and the ship doctor although I find Lowenthal's with anyone equally good, too.
The cast is unbelievable: lots of Oscar winners and nominees on the same ship. However, I'm going to dock a point for the
film because it can sometimes be uneven and too long that walks a fine line between overdone and simplistic.
As much as I like Lee Marvin, he wasted his time playing a pathetic character when he's more suited for action films
like The Killers, The Dirty Dozen, and
The Big Red One. At least, he got the chance to spend some
quality time with Vivien Leigh in the final film of her brilliant but brief career before she passed away two years later.
All in all, Ship of Fools is a great picture that'll stand the test of time.