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Ship of Fools

Ship of Fools

Drama · Romance · War · 1965

A varied group of passengers boarding a ship bound for pre-WWII Germany represents a microcosm of early-1930s society.

Movie details

Ship of Fools

“EXPLORER, MISTRESS, VAGRANT, LOAFER, ARTIST, TRAMP– THEY'RE ALL AT THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE!”

1965 Drama · Romance · War 2h 29m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

A varied group of passengers boarding a ship bound for pre-WWII Germany represents a microcosm of early-1930s society.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Ship of Fools?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Sophie's Choice

Sophie's Choice

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An Officer and a Gentleman

An Officer and a Gentleman

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The Ottoman Lieutenant

The Ottoman Lieutenant

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Lillie, a determined American woman, ventures overseas to join Dr. Jude at a remote medical mission in the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey). However, Lillie soon finds herself at odds with Jude and the mission’s founder, Woodruff, when she falls for the titular military man, Ismail, just as the war is about to erupt.

On the Edge

On the Edge

Drama · 2001

A suicidal young man is committed to a Dublin psychiatric hospital where he meets new friends who greatly influence his life.

Ashes in the Snow

Ashes in the Snow

Drama · 2018

The coming-of-age tale of 16-year-old Lina Vilkas who is deported to Siberia amid Stalin's reign of terror in the Baltic region during WWII. An aspiring artist, she secretly documents her harrowing journey with her drawings.

Dirt Music

Dirt Music

Drama · 2020

Georgie is slowly suffocating in a loveless marriage to fishing tycoon Jim Buckridge. Handsome poacher Lu is an irresistible symbol of the excitement she craves. A passionate affair follows that reveals the dark secrets in Lu’s past and forces him to take flight into the blistering heat of the outback. Georgie follows, determined to find him and bring him back.

Fire with Fire

Fire with Fire

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Play Dirty

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Walking with the Enemy

Walking with the Enemy

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Regent Horthy is the leader of Hungary and a German ally, but his favorable standing with Hitler changes as the war comes to an end. Forced to cede Hungary’s power or else witness the execution of his son, Regent Horthy gives up control of his country to the Nazis, who quickly move Hungarians to ghettos and death camps, with no hope in sight. But the despair changes when a young man named Elek emerges. Separated from his family during the relocations and aided by the woman he loves , Elek defies the enemy by becoming one of them. In a race against time, disguised as a Nazi Officer he embarks on a mission to save his family and thousands of his countrymen.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Stanley Kramer

Written by

Abby Mann

Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh

Mary Treadwell

Simone Signoret

Simone Signoret

La Condesa

José Ferrer

José Ferrer

Rieber

Lee Marvin

Lee Marvin

Tenny

Oskar Werner

Oskar Werner

Dr. Schumann

Elizabeth Ashley

Elizabeth Ashley

Jenny

George Segal

George Segal

David

Court is in session

Put Ship of Fools on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.