Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Voyage of the Damned

Play trailer Poster for Voyage of the Damned PG Released Dec 22, 1976 2h 38m Drama War Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
82% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Based on the true story of a ship carrying German-Jewish refugees which was sent to Havana in 1939 by the Nazis but was denied permission to land anywhere. The ship was eventually obliged to return to Germany, where certain death awaited its passengers. This terrible outcome had been cynically anticipated by the Nazis when granting permission for the voyage in the first place.

Where to Watch

Voyage of the Damned

Critics Reviews

View All (11)
Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Banality is contagious and the sin of Voyage of the Damned is having bartered one of the biggest stories of our time into this dull multi-star vehicle of frivolous dressing room gossip. [Full review in Spanish] Aug 15, 2023 Full Review David MacDonald Philadelphia Gay News While the film does have its drawbacks, it is an enlightening look back. May 26, 2020 Full Review Bernard Drew Gannett News Service [The actors] all do their best but the cliche ridden, on the nose, boom, boom, boom screenplay defeats nearly all of them. Nov 4, 2019 Full Review Ruth Batchelor Los Angeles Free Press Besides carrying the impact of an issue morally greater than the fate of individuals, the film is a study in personal heroism, cowardice, dignity, fear, hope and betrayal. Oct 25, 2019 Full Review Matt Brunson Creative Loafing If anyone emerges as first among equals, it would be Max von Sydow, who lends enormous dignity to the role of the ship's captain. Rated: 3/4 Oct 5, 2013 Full Review J.C. Maçek III PopMatters There is no Indiana Jones to save the day and no pat Hollywood ending to revise history. Voyage of the Damned is unquestionably a serious drama and treats its subject matter with the dignity that it should. Rated: 7/10 Sep 26, 2013 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (33)
Alec B The movie gets undermined by its overabundance of characters and melodrama as if the filmmakers didn't trust the core of the story to be dramatic enough. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/24 Full Review dustin d Voyage of the Damned may have flopped in its day because audiences were uninterested in or not ready for a serious treatment of the Holocaust. Modern criticisms of the film seem to suggest the film was not weighty enough. I think the movie sacrifices depth for breadth in the shameful historical incident of the St. Louis. Instead of a character study or a deep-dive into the significance of the St. Louis, the film rushes from one character to another, showing the role they played in the fate of the St. Louis, or perhaps a fictionalized amalgamation of the stories of the ship's passengers. The characters tended to be two-dimensional archetypes rather than rounded, dynamic characters. I didn't mind this treatment. The film was well-made, contained enough drama, and treated the subject matter seriously enough to achieve what it set out to do. It is a good pre-Schindler's List Holocaust film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Sobering movie about the true story of the plight of German Jews just before WW2. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review s r Interesting true story, but the drama embellished to distraction. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review steve d A tough watch that may have you in tears even if the script fails to capture the entire agony. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I'm old enough to remember this movie! I think it is VERY WELL DONE. I have seen it more than once. Great writing and acting! Personally, I do NOT believe that the atrocities done by the Nazis can ever be over emphasized. In fact, they are rarely shown today. Be BLESSED by viewing it! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Voyage of the Damned

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All

Stuart Rosenberg

Director

Faye Dunaway

Denise Kreisler

Max von Sydow

Captain Schroeder

Oskar Werner

Professor Egon Kreisler

Malcolm McDowell

Max Gunter

Orson Welles

José Estedes

More Like This

View All
A Bridge Too Far 59% 85% A Bridge Too Far Watchlist The Bridge on the River Kwai 96% 93% The Bridge on the River Kwai Watchlist TRAILER for The Bridge on the River Kwai Black and White in Color 100% 69% Black and White in Color Watchlist Breaker Morant 100% 91% Breaker Morant Watchlist Madame Rosa 89% 93% Madame Rosa Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Voyage of the Damned

Voyage of the Damned (1976) Voyage of the Damned (1976) Voyage of the Damned (1976) Voyage of the Damned (1976) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Based on the true story of a ship carrying German-Jewish refugees which was sent to Havana in 1939 by the Nazis but was denied permission to land anywhere. The ship was eventually obliged to return to Germany, where certain death awaited its passengers. This terrible outcome had been cynically anticipated by the Nazis when granting permission for the voyage in the first place.
Director
Stuart Rosenberg
Producer
Robert Fryer
Distributor
AVCO Embassy Pictures
Production Co
Associated General Films, ITC Entertainment
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama, War
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 22, 1976, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 12, 2017
Runtime
2h 38m
Most Popular at Home Now