Ship of Fools (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
'Ship of Fools' (based on a novel & directed by Stanley Kramer) has a tried-&-true premise designed to please adult movie-going audiences: a pastiche of disparate passengers confined in a certain space in a time of crisis {in this case, it happens to be a ship). The ship is a luxury ocean liner leaving Vera Cruz, Mexico & heading for Hitler's Germany (early 1930s). The 1st person we see aboard is our narrator (of sorts) of this tale: a cynical dwarf passenger named Glocken (Michael Dunn). At the beginning of the film, while addressing the audience, he warns us that we might even find ourselves aboard the ship by the end of the story {interesting}. Throughout, serving as a sort of moral compass, Glocken ridicules the morally corrupt, and empty lives of his fellow passengers - "little people like us".
They include an intriguing cross-section of upper-class & working-class people, with a few misfits thrown in. Some are happy to be bound for a rising Nazi-Germany; some are apprehensive; and some are oblivious to the imminent dangers that lurk a few years ahead. The wealthy, upper-crust Germans on the ship are asked to sit at the captain's table except for our dwarf narrator & a philosophical Jew (of course) named Lowenthal (Heinz Ruhmann). The ship's mild-mannered doctor, Schumann (Oskar Werner), himself a victim of heart condition, befriends, sympathizes with, & then courts La Condesa (Simone Signoret), a rich Spanish Countess deported for her political activities & awaiting prison back in Germany. Lee Marvin plays Bill Tenny, a failed baseball player whose career ended early. Always drunk, this hedonistic man he tries to 'get together' with Mary Treadwell (Vivien Leigh), an aging, flirtatious divorcee who loves to dance ... and drink.
The younger passengers aboard are represented by David & Jenny (George Segal, Elizabeth Ashley), a bickering couple about to get married. While David is a working class artist with a hot temper, Jenny is a wealthy, neurotic type who is jealous of his talent. The group also includes the evangelist Wengraf & the dancer Pepe (Jose Greco). Throughout the course, we switch back & forth from one subplot to another. The script is not a strong suit of this film; sometimes uninteresting, often melodramatic, & lays on symbolism too thick. That leaves us with sturdy direction, beautiful imagery (Ernst Laszlo's black-&-white cinematography, the cruise liner sets, exquisite costumes), and some superb portrayals from the wealth of good actors on display.
In her last role before she died, Vivien Leigh excels as an outwardly sleek woman who's actually quite frivolous & damaged. Another frivolous character is the one played by Elizabeth Ashley. But she gives Jenny enough humanity that you are still riveted to what she'll say or do. And best of all is Simone Signoret who gives a charismatic & heartbreaking performance as the to-be-deported Condesa; a regal, but lonely woman addicted to drugs and enjoys the calming company of the ship's doctor.
Oskar Werner also impressed; giving the ship's doctor a real low-key, world weary presence. His chemistry (and scenes) with Signoret are absolutely wonderful. THEY are the reason to see this movie. George Segal, Lee Marvin, & Jose Ferrer (as a Nazi worshipper with Anti-Semitic rants) all lend robust portrayals of selfish/oafish men. Overall, I mostly recommend 'Ship of Fools' - as mentioned - for the ensemble acting showcase. Suitably bleak in tone, the film is not without some dark & interesting themes (on prejudice, racism). One character even says, "What can the Nazis do? Kill all six million of us?". But the nearly 2.5 hour running length, melodramatics & inconsistent narrative drive prevents this film from being a true 'great'.
They include an intriguing cross-section of upper-class & working-class people, with a few misfits thrown in. Some are happy to be bound for a rising Nazi-Germany; some are apprehensive; and some are oblivious to the imminent dangers that lurk a few years ahead. The wealthy, upper-crust Germans on the ship are asked to sit at the captain's table except for our dwarf narrator & a philosophical Jew (of course) named Lowenthal (Heinz Ruhmann). The ship's mild-mannered doctor, Schumann (Oskar Werner), himself a victim of heart condition, befriends, sympathizes with, & then courts La Condesa (Simone Signoret), a rich Spanish Countess deported for her political activities & awaiting prison back in Germany. Lee Marvin plays Bill Tenny, a failed baseball player whose career ended early. Always drunk, this hedonistic man he tries to 'get together' with Mary Treadwell (Vivien Leigh), an aging, flirtatious divorcee who loves to dance ... and drink.
The younger passengers aboard are represented by David & Jenny (George Segal, Elizabeth Ashley), a bickering couple about to get married. While David is a working class artist with a hot temper, Jenny is a wealthy, neurotic type who is jealous of his talent. The group also includes the evangelist Wengraf & the dancer Pepe (Jose Greco). Throughout the course, we switch back & forth from one subplot to another. The script is not a strong suit of this film; sometimes uninteresting, often melodramatic, & lays on symbolism too thick. That leaves us with sturdy direction, beautiful imagery (Ernst Laszlo's black-&-white cinematography, the cruise liner sets, exquisite costumes), and some superb portrayals from the wealth of good actors on display.
In her last role before she died, Vivien Leigh excels as an outwardly sleek woman who's actually quite frivolous & damaged. Another frivolous character is the one played by Elizabeth Ashley. But she gives Jenny enough humanity that you are still riveted to what she'll say or do. And best of all is Simone Signoret who gives a charismatic & heartbreaking performance as the to-be-deported Condesa; a regal, but lonely woman addicted to drugs and enjoys the calming company of the ship's doctor.
Oskar Werner also impressed; giving the ship's doctor a real low-key, world weary presence. His chemistry (and scenes) with Signoret are absolutely wonderful. THEY are the reason to see this movie. George Segal, Lee Marvin, & Jose Ferrer (as a Nazi worshipper with Anti-Semitic rants) all lend robust portrayals of selfish/oafish men. Overall, I mostly recommend 'Ship of Fools' - as mentioned - for the ensemble acting showcase. Suitably bleak in tone, the film is not without some dark & interesting themes (on prejudice, racism). One character even says, "What can the Nazis do? Kill all six million of us?". But the nearly 2.5 hour running length, melodramatics & inconsistent narrative drive prevents this film from being a true 'great'.