Murphy's War Blu-ray presents a darkly ironic and fiercely individual take on the Second World War, pairing Peter O'Toole with director Peter Yates for one of the most unconventional war films of the era. Set during the final days of WWII, the film strips away grand strategy and battlefield heroics in favour of obsession, futility, and personal vengeance.
 
After his merchant ship is torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Venezuela and the surviving sailors are gunned down in the water, Murphy is the sole survivor. Rescued and nursed back to health by a pacifist missionary doctor, he learns that the submarine responsible is hiding upriver, camouflaged by dense jungle. While the wider war grinds toward its conclusion, Murphy becomes consumed by the need to settle his own score, launching a one-man campaign against the U-boat that borders on madness.
 
Written by Stirling Silliphant and photographed by legendary cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, Murphy's War balances jet-black humour with mounting psychological intensity. O'Toole delivers one of his most ferocious and unhinged performances, supported by a strong international cast including Philippe Noiret and Horst Janson. Often overlooked in the war-film canon, the movie stands as a biting critique of obsession and the lingering damage of conflict.
 
This limited edition Blu-ray from Arrow Video restores the film in high definition and includes a suite of archival and newly produced extras that explore its production, themes, and lasting reputation.
 
directed by: Peter Yates
starring: Peter O'Toole, Sian Phillips, Philippe Noiret, Horst Janson
1971 / 107 min