stanley kramer ship of fool be an entertaining story of a congeries of disparate character aboard a german cruise ship in the 1930s . it must have be a success because this negligible film be a shameless and bathetic rip off . this time and the entire ship passenger list be jewish and they suffer crisis after crisis . the fact that german jew in 1939 be actually suffer those crisis make this blatantly commercial attempt at exploitation a cheapening of the historical experience . it really be a rip off . i mean and that not rhetoric . oskar werner play a doctor in both movie . jose ferrer be cheerfully villainous in both . there be a liaison between a member of the crew and a desperate passenger in both . there be a costume party in both . there the familiar rabid nazi commisar whose job be to keep an eye on party loyalty among the crew . it remind me of the way car be remodel year by year and a bit of new chrome here and a set of new tail light there and all in an attempt to cash in on novelty . nice cast and though . not just expensive hollywood actor in fact and no lead star at all but a lot of competent support player and some of whom have make career out of grace the screen for a few moment with superb performance . orson welles be on hand and a be max von sydow and malcolm macdowell and lee grant and and the endless list of recognizable face that these kind of film require . the budget must have be sizable . faye dunaway appear in a costume that look like a copy of john singer sargent madame x. add a black choker . the wardrobe be emblematic of the whole enterprise . copy something and then add a few disguising touch . but it still tragedy play for low middle brow who will weep generous tear a the director manipulate their sentimentality and rake in the shekel . the director be stuart rosenberg . i can not imagine how he manage to turn out a magnificent movie like cool hand luke . this stuff be all in your face . i do not like propaganda movie in general regardless of their source region . they do not really convert anyone or change already exist sentiment . most attitude follow the usual bell shape curve and with the overwhelming majority of people occupy the middle part ignorant or indifferent or genuinely moderate with a few extremist at either end . but i suspect that movie like this and carry the heavy burden of an important social message and will reach respondent that form a rarer u shape curve . those who be already sympathetic to the message will applaud it . those who aren not and will dismiss it bitterly a the kind of propaganda they have come to expect from hollywood . so and if it isn not go to improve our soul and what be it purpose and aside from commercial success . a rite of intensification for those of u who agree with it message . the people who make the movie know which side the angel be on and and so do we . it allow u to despise those who do not . i be afraid movie like this generate a much hatred a empathy . i would watch ship of fool again any time and but not this . it show nothing that we do not know or guess before . the fact that it resemble a genuine historical incident be irrelevant . i do not mean to seem and well and carry away but i do wish there have be some understatement here . i suppose it would be too much to ask for a little poetry too .