Stanley Kramer's 1965 film of Katherine Anne Porter's acclaimed novel is full of immensely interesting (and non-cliché) character-studies focusing on a group (mostly European-German passengers & crew, but also a few Americans and Mexicans) cloistered on a large Ship-freighter heading back to Germany after a stay in Mexico (the darkly-ironic Year being 1933 in the film; but 1931 for Porter's novel based at least in part on characters she actually observed, interacted with on a similar Trans-Atlantic ocean-voyage)
This film and stories contained-within are intriguing and unpredictable, reflecting a time in history portending the inexorable-intractable march toward World-War II conflagration & devastation (this ship voyage reflecting the proverbial 'calm before the horrific storm').......
And "Ship of Fools" presents a 'microcosm' of diverse characters traveling on this Ship encompassing wide-ranging philosophical-cultural and ethnic differences intermingling-interacting in sometimes cordial and other times hostile & sarcastic manner (the general atmosphere is that of distinct melancholy inter-laced with a foreboding sense that civilization is inexorably heading towards a much darker and more tenuous existence - once European Landfall is reached)
The qualitative aspect of Kramer's film being that it is not overtly 'preachy' and none of the characters are either villainous of heroic archetypes, most seem multi-dimensional and quite real.
The great Austrian actor Oskar Werner plays the sensitive and humane but dispirited ship's doctor 'Wilhelm Schumann' who temporarily falls in Love with legendary French actress Simone Signoret playing the Spanish 'La Condesa' (a doomed and forlorn love-affair growing out of desperate human-need for connection during uncertain times, with unknown futures awaiting both of them) Oskar Werner was a great screen presence of the 1960's essaying a number of complex roles in important films like 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' --- 'Fahrenheit 451' --- 'Shoes of the Fisherman' ---- and later 'Voyage of the Damned' (from the mid 70's) usually portraying exceedingly humane but ultimately tragic figures.
Lee Marvin as washed-up, alcoholic, once-potential baseball Star 'Bill Tenny' who couldn't quite make-it in the 'Big-Leagues' - and whose deep-melancholy is only surpassed by Vivien Leigh as the downtrodden-beleaguered/World-weary Mary Treadwell.
George Segal and Elizabeth Ashley as young-passionate-American Lovers who are not completely sure they are 'right' for each other (getting to know each other more deeply over the long-haul ocean-trip)
Jose Ferrer is incessantly-boastful proto-Nazi 'Siegfried Rieber' who extolls all things Aryan and vociferously derides-denigrates all foreign cosmopolitan influences
I thought one of the most interesting characters of the group (and perhaps the most principled & ethical) was Alf Kjellin as 'Freytag' an ethnic-German who feels himself to be every-bit as German-in mind and spirit as anyone else aboard the Ship- but the small fact that he married a Jewish woman (a few years back in Germany) makes him the object of ridicule among some of the extreme-Nationalists at his dinner-table (he does show substantial courage standing-up for his wife in one harrowing scene, but also great-guilt-regret in the fact that he separated from her due to societal-pressures - but now he desperately wants to find her and reunite upon returning to Germany - but she might already be long-gone)
Heinz Ruhmann (who was a famous and popular ethnic German actor of the time, in his first English-language film) gives an amazingly nuanced performance (full of genuine humor & pathos) as pragmatic-optimistic German-Jewish businessman 'Julius Lowenthal' one of the reasons Ruhmann's characterization is so fascinating is because throughout the entire movie (and even after numerous unprovoked vocal taunts from Ferrer's boastfully-bigoted 'Siegfried') 'Julius Lowenthal' remains eternally-optimistic even when his diminutive friend and trusted-fellow-passenger 'Carl Glocken' warns that it has become painfully clear & disheartening that the once familiar German-culture Julius Lowenthal grew-up in, and knew-well & deeply-admired in his youth ==> is now (circa1933) on the cusp of a tragically-cruel transition in which Jews (no matter how previously loyal and assimilated) will soon become completely unwelcome and placed in imminent mortal-danger. Lowenthal continues to brush-off such warnings as just a 'passing-phase' (wishful thinking on his part and on the part of many other German-Jews of the time & place) and Lowenthal still demonstrates great pride, when showing Carl Glocken the 'Iron-cross' he won for Bravery defending Germany during the 'first' War (a tragically-ironic but also quite poignant moment)
But in many ways the unexpected 'STAR' of this film is the physically-diminutive, but intellectually & poetically Gigantic Michael Dunn as 'Carl Glocken' who has been described by others as the 'Greek-chorus' - in a sense he seems like our moral-conscience and tour-guide thru this massive-Ship thoroughly populated by genuine 'fools' A few times 'Carl Glocken' looks straight at us (penetrating the 'fourth-wall') as if to emphasize his warning directly to us = to not aimlessly wander into traps set-up to easily ensnare 'we fools' = e.g. like those characters who blindly-support the forward march towards devastating World-War conflagration with anarchy and dark-matter Chaos not far behind........or those choosing to remain clueless (attaining a-level of convenient-indifference) and effectively allowing calamity just to 'happen' without mustering any meaningful resistance.......... or perhaps those too wrapped-up in their own personal melancholy-misfortune to even care, or shed a single tear....
"Ship of Fools" is difficult viewing in many ways, the characters although fascinating are not necessarily all 'likable' and there is much ambiguity to some of their motivations & actions (or inaction) but that very ambiguity and complexity is also perhaps this film's greatest strength - and the superb acting performances (from some of the screen's All-time finest thespians) would rate this 10-Stars on acting-merits alone!
This film and stories contained-within are intriguing and unpredictable, reflecting a time in history portending the inexorable-intractable march toward World-War II conflagration & devastation (this ship voyage reflecting the proverbial 'calm before the horrific storm').......
And "Ship of Fools" presents a 'microcosm' of diverse characters traveling on this Ship encompassing wide-ranging philosophical-cultural and ethnic differences intermingling-interacting in sometimes cordial and other times hostile & sarcastic manner (the general atmosphere is that of distinct melancholy inter-laced with a foreboding sense that civilization is inexorably heading towards a much darker and more tenuous existence - once European Landfall is reached)
The qualitative aspect of Kramer's film being that it is not overtly 'preachy' and none of the characters are either villainous of heroic archetypes, most seem multi-dimensional and quite real.
The great Austrian actor Oskar Werner plays the sensitive and humane but dispirited ship's doctor 'Wilhelm Schumann' who temporarily falls in Love with legendary French actress Simone Signoret playing the Spanish 'La Condesa' (a doomed and forlorn love-affair growing out of desperate human-need for connection during uncertain times, with unknown futures awaiting both of them) Oskar Werner was a great screen presence of the 1960's essaying a number of complex roles in important films like 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' --- 'Fahrenheit 451' --- 'Shoes of the Fisherman' ---- and later 'Voyage of the Damned' (from the mid 70's) usually portraying exceedingly humane but ultimately tragic figures.
Lee Marvin as washed-up, alcoholic, once-potential baseball Star 'Bill Tenny' who couldn't quite make-it in the 'Big-Leagues' - and whose deep-melancholy is only surpassed by Vivien Leigh as the downtrodden-beleaguered/World-weary Mary Treadwell.
George Segal and Elizabeth Ashley as young-passionate-American Lovers who are not completely sure they are 'right' for each other (getting to know each other more deeply over the long-haul ocean-trip)
Jose Ferrer is incessantly-boastful proto-Nazi 'Siegfried Rieber' who extolls all things Aryan and vociferously derides-denigrates all foreign cosmopolitan influences
I thought one of the most interesting characters of the group (and perhaps the most principled & ethical) was Alf Kjellin as 'Freytag' an ethnic-German who feels himself to be every-bit as German-in mind and spirit as anyone else aboard the Ship- but the small fact that he married a Jewish woman (a few years back in Germany) makes him the object of ridicule among some of the extreme-Nationalists at his dinner-table (he does show substantial courage standing-up for his wife in one harrowing scene, but also great-guilt-regret in the fact that he separated from her due to societal-pressures - but now he desperately wants to find her and reunite upon returning to Germany - but she might already be long-gone)
Heinz Ruhmann (who was a famous and popular ethnic German actor of the time, in his first English-language film) gives an amazingly nuanced performance (full of genuine humor & pathos) as pragmatic-optimistic German-Jewish businessman 'Julius Lowenthal' one of the reasons Ruhmann's characterization is so fascinating is because throughout the entire movie (and even after numerous unprovoked vocal taunts from Ferrer's boastfully-bigoted 'Siegfried') 'Julius Lowenthal' remains eternally-optimistic even when his diminutive friend and trusted-fellow-passenger 'Carl Glocken' warns that it has become painfully clear & disheartening that the once familiar German-culture Julius Lowenthal grew-up in, and knew-well & deeply-admired in his youth ==> is now (circa1933) on the cusp of a tragically-cruel transition in which Jews (no matter how previously loyal and assimilated) will soon become completely unwelcome and placed in imminent mortal-danger. Lowenthal continues to brush-off such warnings as just a 'passing-phase' (wishful thinking on his part and on the part of many other German-Jews of the time & place) and Lowenthal still demonstrates great pride, when showing Carl Glocken the 'Iron-cross' he won for Bravery defending Germany during the 'first' War (a tragically-ironic but also quite poignant moment)
But in many ways the unexpected 'STAR' of this film is the physically-diminutive, but intellectually & poetically Gigantic Michael Dunn as 'Carl Glocken' who has been described by others as the 'Greek-chorus' - in a sense he seems like our moral-conscience and tour-guide thru this massive-Ship thoroughly populated by genuine 'fools' A few times 'Carl Glocken' looks straight at us (penetrating the 'fourth-wall') as if to emphasize his warning directly to us = to not aimlessly wander into traps set-up to easily ensnare 'we fools' = e.g. like those characters who blindly-support the forward march towards devastating World-War conflagration with anarchy and dark-matter Chaos not far behind........or those choosing to remain clueless (attaining a-level of convenient-indifference) and effectively allowing calamity just to 'happen' without mustering any meaningful resistance.......... or perhaps those too wrapped-up in their own personal melancholy-misfortune to even care, or shed a single tear....
"Ship of Fools" is difficult viewing in many ways, the characters although fascinating are not necessarily all 'likable' and there is much ambiguity to some of their motivations & actions (or inaction) but that very ambiguity and complexity is also perhaps this film's greatest strength - and the superb acting performances (from some of the screen's All-time finest thespians) would rate this 10-Stars on acting-merits alone!