a film made in 1965 which was not "Beach Blanket Bingo" or some other mindless Hollywood tripe. The film includes a stellar cast, interesting theme, and while the characters are more like caricatures, I do not agree with several reviews condemning them as "archetypes".
Simone Signoret is a drug addled countess, being deported, who ends up falling for the ship's physician, Oskar Werner. Lee Marvin portrays an American looking for a good time. Vivien Leigh (brilliantly) portrays a bitter divorcée, Mrs. Treadwell. Jose Ferrer is excellent as a xenophobic German, carrying on an affair with his German mistress.
There is also another side-story with Elizabeth Ashley and George Segal, as young lovers with divergent cultural values. Segal is concerned for the passengers in steerage, feels sorry for a man who jumps overboard to rescue a passengers bulldog, who was thrown overboard. The man dies, and the owners of the dog utter nary a thank you. (The dog itself is as amusing to look at as Jose Ferrer, dressed as a devil).
Today, the film seems a bit talky, but has a definite message, and the performances by Vivien Leigh, Lee Marvin and Ferrer alone are worth watching. 10/10
Simone Signoret is a drug addled countess, being deported, who ends up falling for the ship's physician, Oskar Werner. Lee Marvin portrays an American looking for a good time. Vivien Leigh (brilliantly) portrays a bitter divorcée, Mrs. Treadwell. Jose Ferrer is excellent as a xenophobic German, carrying on an affair with his German mistress.
There is also another side-story with Elizabeth Ashley and George Segal, as young lovers with divergent cultural values. Segal is concerned for the passengers in steerage, feels sorry for a man who jumps overboard to rescue a passengers bulldog, who was thrown overboard. The man dies, and the owners of the dog utter nary a thank you. (The dog itself is as amusing to look at as Jose Ferrer, dressed as a devil).
Today, the film seems a bit talky, but has a definite message, and the performances by Vivien Leigh, Lee Marvin and Ferrer alone are worth watching. 10/10