The Ship of Fools (film)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title The Ship of Fools
Original title Ship of Fools
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1965
length 146 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Stanley Kramer
script Abby man
production Stanley Kramer
music Ernest Gold
camera Ernest Laszlo
cut Robert C. Jones
occupation

The Ship of Fools is an American black and white feature film from 1965 that tells the stories of various passengers on a ship of the line in the 1930s. Vivien Leigh , Simone Signoret , José Ferrer , Lee Marvin , Oskar Werner , Michael Dunn , Elizabeth Ashley , George Segal , José Greco and Heinz Rühmann took over roles . The screenplay for the film was written by Abby Mann , based on the novel by Katherine Anne Porter of the same name . It was the last film with Vivien Leigh and also the US film debut for Christiane Schmidtmer .

action

In 1933, shortly before the National Socialists take power in Germany , the German passenger steamer "Vera" is on its way from Veracruz to Bremerhaven . The passengers are mixed up internationally. The trip gives them ample opportunity to develop not only their wishes and hopes, but also their characters and weaknesses.

The American Bill Tenny, who was once a successful professional baseball player but has since failed as an athlete, is posing as a sex man. The German publisher Rieber, although married, flirts violently with his secretary Lizzi, a luscious blonde, and sings the praises of the future National Socialist rulers in his homeland to the other passengers. He only made derogatory remarks for Jews . Even so, the Jewish merchant Löwenthal did not let himself be disturbed by him. He believes in what is good in people and remains a German patriot . A drug-addicted Spanish Komtessa , expelled from Cuba, beguiles the Austrian ship doctor Dr. Schumann. Towards the end of the trip he will succumb to a heart attack after falling in love with the noblewoman, but not accompanying her into her exile . The German businessman Freytag, who is married to a Jew, is refused his seat at the captain's table after this fact becomes apparent. He later confesses to a fellow traveler that he lives separated from his wife under pressure from his superiors. The unsuccessful painter David's love for Jenny, who comes from a wealthy family, breaks during the journey. Mary Treadwell, an aging American lady, doesn't leave men with good hair after various marriages and love affairs. The old Professor Graf, who shows off his godliness, harasses his nephew who is caring for him. The Swiss Hutten couple let a bulldog sit between them at the dining table and treat the dog better than anyone. The captain of the ship tries to stay away from the passengers as much as possible, but is repeatedly drawn into quarrels.

Meanwhile, on the lower deck, a few hundred plantation workers who got on board in Cuba because they became unemployed due to the fall in world market prices for sugar are living in filth and poverty. When the Swiss couple's dog is thrown overboard by the uncouth children of the flamenco dancers, one of the passengers on the lower deck rescues it, but drowns in the process. The Spanish dance group, whose female members are all prostitutes and whose leader Pepe acts as a pimp for the women and girls in his group, but cannot master his own naughty children, provides for cheer. Only Karl Glocken, a hunchbacked and handicapped person , always keeps an overview, composure and humor.

In Bremerhaven, all passengers leave the ship, while the captain takes the grieving family of Dr. Schumann welcomed. At the end, the short figure appears again and speaks directly into the camera, just like at the beginning. His rhetorical question to the audience, who would now be wondering what all this has to do with them, he answered himself immediately: "Nothing."

Awards

Oscar

The film won the award for Best Black and White Production Design ( Robert Clatworthy , Joseph Kish ) and the Oscar for Best Cinematography ( Ernest Laszlo ) at the 1966 Academy Awards . He was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor (Oskar Werner), Best Supporting Actor (Michael Dunn), Best Actress (Simone Signoret), Best Black & White Costume Design ( Bill Thomas ), Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay .

Won

New York Film Critics Circle Award 1965
  • Best Actor (Oskar Werner)
National Board of Review 1966

Nominated

British Film Academy Awards 1966
  • Best Foreign Actor (Oskar Werner)
  • Best Foreign Actress (Simone Signoret)
Golden Globe Awards 1966
  • Best movie
  • Best Actor (Oskar Werner)
  • Best Actress (Simone Signoret)
Laurel Awards 1966

Best Supporting Actor (Michael Dunn)

WGA Awards 1966
  • Best American Drama Screenplay (Abby Mann)

Reviews

The Ship of Fools received mostly, but not exclusively, positive reviews. In rotten tomatoes , the film has, based on 16 reviews, a positive rating of 81%. The Wiesbaden film evaluation agency awarded the film the rating of “valuable”.

“Ambitious Hollywood drama based on KA Porter's bestseller of the same name. Elaborately staged with a high-class ensemble of international cinema stars, but clichéd in the type drawing and somewhat naive in its seriousness. "

- Lexicon of international film

"Filming of the bestseller by KA Porter, the content [...] of which has been simplified and falsified. Overgrown by clichés, the characters in the story no longer come into their own. A tiring, slightly sentimental and kitschy game between studio sets. "

- Protestant film observer

Soundtrack

  • Ernest Gold et al .: Ship of Fools. Motion Picture Score . Ernest Gold Film Music Vol. 2. Artemis, slsa, sound carrier no. ART-F 002 - Recording of the film music by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Ship of Fools at Rotten Tomatoes
  2. ↑ The Ship of Fools. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  3. ↑ Evangelischer Presseverband München, Review No. 398/1965