The Caine Mutiny works well on so many levels. It is a great insight into navy life, a first rate legal drama, and an unforgettable character study. Jose Ferrer and Fred MacMurray are superb, and indeed so is the entire cast, but the film clearly belongs to Humphrey Bogart's Captain Queeg. It's a real treat to see 'Bogie' in a film where he isn't a gangster or a romantic with a gruff exterior. Bogart spectacularly conveys the sheer complexity of his character: the quirks, the devotion to duty, the demand for perfection, the refusal to accept his own fallibility. It is a truly exceptional performance. Strongly recommended, 9/10.
215 Reviews
"There's the right way, the wrong way, the Navy way, and my wayand if you do things my way, we'll get along!"
Nazi_Fighter_David8 February 2009
Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) was simply a man who had seen too much of war
With the excitable tendency of rolling a pair of steel balls in his hand, he censures the error of incorrectness on everything but himself falling as an easy victim to the intrigues of self-serving officers who felt that their panicked captain is mentally not suitable to command the ship
A subplot, seeming to lack common sense, between two young lovers (Robert Francis and May Wynn) only served to lessen the concentration and distract our attention from the real story Also, at the court-martial, a long trial sequence, was clearly anticlimactic, though it included the film's most tense and unforgettable scene, that of Queeg disintegrating as he pronounced his statement
But we had noticed it all before, after all, aboard the Navy destroyer, the U.S.S. Caine We had seen Queeg as a strict disciplinarian and a compulsive, unstable commander, earning, in his limited imagination, the total disregard of both officers and crew So we knew what would occur when he got on the witness stand
"The Caine Mutiny" is a splendid character study, a tale of bravery and cowardice at odds with one another The film received seven Academy Award nominations included one to Humphrey Bogart who delivered a terrific performance
A subplot, seeming to lack common sense, between two young lovers (Robert Francis and May Wynn) only served to lessen the concentration and distract our attention from the real story Also, at the court-martial, a long trial sequence, was clearly anticlimactic, though it included the film's most tense and unforgettable scene, that of Queeg disintegrating as he pronounced his statement
But we had noticed it all before, after all, aboard the Navy destroyer, the U.S.S. Caine We had seen Queeg as a strict disciplinarian and a compulsive, unstable commander, earning, in his limited imagination, the total disregard of both officers and crew So we knew what would occur when he got on the witness stand
"The Caine Mutiny" is a splendid character study, a tale of bravery and cowardice at odds with one another The film received seven Academy Award nominations included one to Humphrey Bogart who delivered a terrific performance
Bogart and MacMurray shine in this adaptation of Herman Wouk's masterpiece.
drdcw23 March 2002
Great novels often disappoint when brought to the screen, but superior acting performances make The Caine Mutiny a classic on its own merits.
The movie takes place on a destroyer-minesweeper in the Pacific during World War II. To the consternation of the Caine's crew, a popular captain (Tom Tully) is replaced by a disturbed despot named Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), who finds himself in over his head. As the stresses of command multiply, Queeg's paranoia and cowardice soon become apparent to Lieutenant Thomas Keefer (Fred MacMurray), a writer in civilian life. Keefer continually tries to convince Executive Officer Steve Maryk (Van Johnson) that Queeg is insane, but Keefer won't help Maryk when the Exec asks Keefer to help convince higher authority that Queeg should be relieved. During a typhoon, Queeg's poor seamanship nearly capsizes the Caine; Maryk relieves him by reason of insanity and saves the ship. Maryk and Willie Keith (Robert Francis), Officer of the Deck when Queeg is relieved, stand trial for mutiny. They are reluctantly defended by Lt Barney Greenwald (Jose Ferrer), who must expose Queeg's mental illness to save the defendants. In so doing Greenwald forces the Caine's officers to examine their own motives regarding their roles in Queeg's relief and their lack of loyalty to him.
Bogart is brilliant, giving the greatest performance of his career, his quirky mannerisms and tortured demeanor contrasting starkly with his usual roles. MacMurray is superb as the glib slippery novelist who must eventually deal with his own cowardice, more damning than Queeg's because of his intelligence and insight. Johnson plays Maryk more timidly than he appears in the book, to the detriment of the movie. Ferrer gives a solid performance. Tully excels as the crusty Capt DeVriess, Queeg's predecessor.
The weakest part of Wouk's book is the largely irrelevant romance between Willie Keith and a nightclub singer of whom his wealthy mother disapproves. Unhappily this vapid subplot finds its way into the movie, serving only to reveal Francis and his love interest May Wynn as lousy actors whose mercifully brief cinematic careers were well deserved. Important character developments in the novel could have been included instead of this unnecessary pap.
Despite its flaws, The Caine Mutiny is a must see for serious movie fans. Bogart and MacMurray give performances which remain fresh and compelling with every viewing of the film. You can't ask more from an actor than that.
The movie takes place on a destroyer-minesweeper in the Pacific during World War II. To the consternation of the Caine's crew, a popular captain (Tom Tully) is replaced by a disturbed despot named Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), who finds himself in over his head. As the stresses of command multiply, Queeg's paranoia and cowardice soon become apparent to Lieutenant Thomas Keefer (Fred MacMurray), a writer in civilian life. Keefer continually tries to convince Executive Officer Steve Maryk (Van Johnson) that Queeg is insane, but Keefer won't help Maryk when the Exec asks Keefer to help convince higher authority that Queeg should be relieved. During a typhoon, Queeg's poor seamanship nearly capsizes the Caine; Maryk relieves him by reason of insanity and saves the ship. Maryk and Willie Keith (Robert Francis), Officer of the Deck when Queeg is relieved, stand trial for mutiny. They are reluctantly defended by Lt Barney Greenwald (Jose Ferrer), who must expose Queeg's mental illness to save the defendants. In so doing Greenwald forces the Caine's officers to examine their own motives regarding their roles in Queeg's relief and their lack of loyalty to him.
Bogart is brilliant, giving the greatest performance of his career, his quirky mannerisms and tortured demeanor contrasting starkly with his usual roles. MacMurray is superb as the glib slippery novelist who must eventually deal with his own cowardice, more damning than Queeg's because of his intelligence and insight. Johnson plays Maryk more timidly than he appears in the book, to the detriment of the movie. Ferrer gives a solid performance. Tully excels as the crusty Capt DeVriess, Queeg's predecessor.
The weakest part of Wouk's book is the largely irrelevant romance between Willie Keith and a nightclub singer of whom his wealthy mother disapproves. Unhappily this vapid subplot finds its way into the movie, serving only to reveal Francis and his love interest May Wynn as lousy actors whose mercifully brief cinematic careers were well deserved. Important character developments in the novel could have been included instead of this unnecessary pap.
Despite its flaws, The Caine Mutiny is a must see for serious movie fans. Bogart and MacMurray give performances which remain fresh and compelling with every viewing of the film. You can't ask more from an actor than that.
Ironically, our Navy's best remembered "mutiny"
theowinthrop9 October 2005
Historically there were two great United States Naval mutinies. In 1842 a naval sloop, the U.S.S. Somers, had a court martial for three crew members (one, Midshipman Philip Spencer, was the son of Secretary of War John Canfield Spencer), which ended with their being found guilty and hanged. To this day there is debate if Spencer (a troubled youth) was even serious about seizing the "Somers". The other occurred in 1944 at Port Chicago, California, when, a few weeks after a terrible accident that killed many men loading ammunition on a boat, their replacements refused to work under existing unsafe conditions. This led to a U.S. Supreme Court decision - against the workers, who claimed they were not under military law.
But the best known mutiny in the American navy is that on the U.S.S. Caine, during the hurricane that preceded the battle of Okinawa. That this is a fictional mutiny does not seem to attract any attention. THE CAINE MUTINY was a successful novel, Broadway play ("THE CAINE MUTINY COURT MARTIAL") and a great movie. It remains the American equivalent of the mutiny on the H.M.S. Bounty.
The performances of the leads, Bogart, Johnson, MacMurray (his second of three great heels), Ferrer, Tully, and E.G.Marshall are all first rate, as are the supporting cast (which includes Lee Marvin, Claude Atkins, and Jerry Paris - all of whom had quite substantial careers after this film). Only Robert Francis did not have a substantial career after his fine Ensign Keith - he died in a plane crash in 1955.
There are mental images from the film (mostly connected to Bogart's Queeg) that people remember - even spoof. Every time you see some character showing nervous ticks, if he or she pulls out a pair of small metal balls and roll them in their hand, it is a salute to Bogie's originally doing it in THE CAINE MUTINY. And his magnificent moment of success: "the strawberries", and how he proved the theft with geometric precision, remains a signal that the person speaking has too many fixations.
Interestingly, the film makes Queeg better (if still sick) than the play does. When cross examined by Greenwald at the court martial of Maryk and Keith, Queeg is asked about whether or not he overused his right to free transport of liquor and other items from Hawaii to the mainland from the navy. Queeg at first denies it, but when Greenwald says he can bring in (as witnesses) people connected with the sale of the items and the transport of them, Queeg suddenly remembers that he might have. This is not in the film, but it shows that Queeg was not all that clean an officer.
That aside, the impact of the film is still terrific half a century after it was shot. It illustrates that personality flaws frequently causes the problems that affect all of us, and that we need more understanding of each other's problems to avoid the bigger ones. From a case of over-extended battle fatigue, the crew of a warship are driven to accept an act of mutiny against it's captain in an emergency situation. And it almost gets two officers disgraced or hanged.
But the best known mutiny in the American navy is that on the U.S.S. Caine, during the hurricane that preceded the battle of Okinawa. That this is a fictional mutiny does not seem to attract any attention. THE CAINE MUTINY was a successful novel, Broadway play ("THE CAINE MUTINY COURT MARTIAL") and a great movie. It remains the American equivalent of the mutiny on the H.M.S. Bounty.
The performances of the leads, Bogart, Johnson, MacMurray (his second of three great heels), Ferrer, Tully, and E.G.Marshall are all first rate, as are the supporting cast (which includes Lee Marvin, Claude Atkins, and Jerry Paris - all of whom had quite substantial careers after this film). Only Robert Francis did not have a substantial career after his fine Ensign Keith - he died in a plane crash in 1955.
There are mental images from the film (mostly connected to Bogart's Queeg) that people remember - even spoof. Every time you see some character showing nervous ticks, if he or she pulls out a pair of small metal balls and roll them in their hand, it is a salute to Bogie's originally doing it in THE CAINE MUTINY. And his magnificent moment of success: "the strawberries", and how he proved the theft with geometric precision, remains a signal that the person speaking has too many fixations.
Interestingly, the film makes Queeg better (if still sick) than the play does. When cross examined by Greenwald at the court martial of Maryk and Keith, Queeg is asked about whether or not he overused his right to free transport of liquor and other items from Hawaii to the mainland from the navy. Queeg at first denies it, but when Greenwald says he can bring in (as witnesses) people connected with the sale of the items and the transport of them, Queeg suddenly remembers that he might have. This is not in the film, but it shows that Queeg was not all that clean an officer.
That aside, the impact of the film is still terrific half a century after it was shot. It illustrates that personality flaws frequently causes the problems that affect all of us, and that we need more understanding of each other's problems to avoid the bigger ones. From a case of over-extended battle fatigue, the crew of a warship are driven to accept an act of mutiny against it's captain in an emergency situation. And it almost gets two officers disgraced or hanged.
Bogie loses his marbles...the strawberries are missing!
Doylenf15 April 2001
Humphrey Bogart received an Oscar nomination for 'The Caine Mutiny' as the eccentric Captain Queeg who finally collapses under pressure. The story leading up to his downfall is an engrossing one--and more complex than any surface description can convey. That's what makes this such a fascinating movie. Nothing is what it seems. No character is painted in black or white strokes--but beneath the surface lies deception, especially in Lt. Keefer (Fred MacMurray). Usually a lightweight actor, MacMurray delivers one of the film's craftiest performances. So does Van Johnson as the decent executive officer who takes over the controls when Queeg snaps. As many have pointed out, the only true weakness of the film is the attention given to a budding romance between Robert Francis and May Wynn which does nothing to advance the plot. The complex drama ends with a stunning courtroom scene in which Jose Ferrer gets a chance to do some heavy emoting. Max Steiner's score includes a jaunty, catchy main theme but is otherwise not one of his most interesting scores. An excellent film that makes you think how things might have been if--if only...but then there would have been no story. All in all, quite an achievement, well worth your time. The book by Herman Wouk was worth reading too.
Powerhouse Bogart in powerhouse drama...eventually.
hitchcockthelegend4 March 2008
The striking thing about the film to me was that it starts out seemingly as a jovial piece, it's light hearted in structure for the first third but then we are introduced to Humphrey Bogart's Captain Phillip Queeg and things start to change rather dramatically. Capatain Queeg takes command of the USS Caine and promptly tries to whip the shoddy (had it good for too long) crew into shape, but soon the cracks start to appear in the Captain's persona, and during a violent storm the crew decide enough is enough.
Adapted from Herman Wouk's much lauded page turner, The Caine Mutiny triumphs in spite of its flaws because it lulls you in craftily to then unleash quality drama in the form of Bogart's quite brilliant performance as Queeg. It's a class show from Bogart as he plays out the various forms of sanity with terrific results. Backed up by Fred MacMurray, Jose Ferrer and Van Johnson the film isn't found wanting for acting gravitas, sadly the direction from Edward Dmytryk does plod at the times when the film cries out for impetus, and a romantic subplot involving Robert Francis's Ens. Willis Seward Keith has no right to be here, since it really is a waste of time. Yet they are forgivable flaws, for this be a cracking picture that is essential for Bogart purists, and essential viewing for those interested in a quality story telling up there on the screen. 9/10
Adapted from Herman Wouk's much lauded page turner, The Caine Mutiny triumphs in spite of its flaws because it lulls you in craftily to then unleash quality drama in the form of Bogart's quite brilliant performance as Queeg. It's a class show from Bogart as he plays out the various forms of sanity with terrific results. Backed up by Fred MacMurray, Jose Ferrer and Van Johnson the film isn't found wanting for acting gravitas, sadly the direction from Edward Dmytryk does plod at the times when the film cries out for impetus, and a romantic subplot involving Robert Francis's Ens. Willis Seward Keith has no right to be here, since it really is a waste of time. Yet they are forgivable flaws, for this be a cracking picture that is essential for Bogart purists, and essential viewing for those interested in a quality story telling up there on the screen. 9/10
Conflicted emotions and loyalties, a conflicted captain, and a conflicted movie...
moonspinner5526 August 2007
Director Edward Dmytryk and screenwriter Stanlet Roberts, adapting Herman Wouk's novel, certainly didn't set out to make an anti-Navy movie concerning a junkyard Naval ship beset with a paranoid captain, and indeed their "simple" dedication at the end is to the entire United States Navy, yet the plot mechanisms are slanted in that direction even if the handling is not. Beginning the picture with a green "Princeton tiger" and Naval Academy grad attempting to woo a band singer before duty calls was a safe, stolid move, yet Wouk's story manages to cut much wider and deeper than the Hollywood generalities, and once his plot gets cooking the film is vastly entertaining. Humphrey Bogart is the new by-the-books captain aboard a Naval bottom-feeder, quickly driving his crew and his vessel into the ground with his idiosyncratic behavior. Dymtryk is careful while introducing all the different personalities aboard ship, and he doesn't want us to miss a trick, yet in the film's final stages (after the court martial, when defense attorney José Ferrer has his say), the tone of the picture does an about-face and hopes to show us all sides of the situation. The filmmakers want to have their cake and eat it too, and the resulting epilogue goes down like bad medicine. Still, the performances are first-rate, particularly by Bogart and, in perhaps his finest acting turn, Van Johnson. *** from ****
PTSD at Sea...
Xstal15 August 2023
You're wet behind the ears and quite naive, as you take the opposite of onshore leave, an assignment on the Caine, feelings bottled with disdain, climbing the mast you feel quite sick, and start to heave. Then the Captain is transferred and in sails Queeg, he's the kind of guy who will never concede, leaves the crew with no illusion, there can be just one conclusion, you must do all of the things that he decrees. After some time it seems apparent this guy's ill, as he's unable to enact the role, fulfil, makes decisions that are crazed, lucky the crew remain unscathed, although he does his best to scuttle and to kill.
One of Bogies finest performances.
One of Bogies finest performances.
Awesome film with superb naval drama , emotion and sensational performance
ma-cortes5 April 2012
During Second World War , onboard a small insignificant destroyer ship in the U.S. Pacific Fleet a hard-nosed US Naval captain named Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) shows signs of mentally unbalanced , then takes place an event unlike any that the United States Navy has ever experienced . Tom Keefer (Fred MacMurray) takes a discussion to him and puts in Steve Maryk's mind the idea that Queeg can be mental instability that may or not to be slightly unhinged . As when the Ship's Captain panics during a storm is removed from his command by his two Executive Officers (Van Johnson , Robert Francis) when jeopardizes the ship . In an apparent outright act of mutiny the first officer relieves him of command and faces court martial for mutiny . Later on , it happens the court martial naval destroyer officers well defended by an expert solicitor (Jose Ferrer) against a stubborn prosecutor (E.G. Marshall) .
This over-the-top film contains interesting drama , a maritime intrigue , spectacular taking on among crew officers and being beautifully realized . Impressive scenes when happens a storm with a well made ship to scale model . Good performances by all-star-cast as Van Johnson , Fred MacMurray , Jose Ferrer and of course Humphrey Bogart's tour-de-force performance in the climactic courtroom scene was so powerful that it completely captivated the onlooking film technicians and crewmen . After the scene's completion, the company gave Bogart a round of thunderous applause . Besides , an excellent plethora of secondary actors : E.G. Marshall , Claude Akins , Whit Bissell , Edward Franz , Warner Anderson , James Best and Lee Marvin . Interesting screenplay by Stanley Roberts based on the prestigious novel from Herman Wouk who won Pulitzer Prize . Evocative and appropriate music score by the classic Max Steiner with perdurable leitmotif . Colorful cinematography in marvelous Technicolor by Franz Planer .
The motion picture is stunningly directed by Edward Dmytryck , he was a craftsman whose career was interrupted by the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), a congressional committee that employed ruthless tactics aimed at rooting out and destroying what it saw as Communist influence in Hollywood . A lifelong political leftist who had been a Communist Party member briefly during World War II, Dmytryk was one of the so-called "Hollywood Ten" who refused to cooperate with HUAC and had their careers disrupted or ruined as a result. The committee threw him in prison for refusing to cooperate, and after having spent several months behind bars , Dmytryk decided to cooperate . Dmytrick's biggest film was ¨The Caine Mutiny¨ , but he also realized another mutiny film titled : ¨Mutiny¨ with Angela Lansbury , Mark Stevens and Patrick Knowles . Edward was an expert on warlike genre as ¨Back to Batan¨ , ¨Battle of Anzio¨ , ¨Young lions¨ and Western as ¨Broken lance¨ , ¨Alvarez Kelly¨ , ¨Warlock¨ among others. Rating : a complete must see , it's recommended for courtroom drama enthusiasts and Bogart fans . Followed by a full-length adaptation, THE CAINE MUTINY COURT-MARTIAL (TV,1988) originally staged as a play , of the court-martial segment from the novel "The Caine Mutiny" by Robert Altman with Brad Davis , Eric Bogosian , Peter Gallaher , Kevin J O'Connor , Jeff Daniels and Michael Murphy .
This over-the-top film contains interesting drama , a maritime intrigue , spectacular taking on among crew officers and being beautifully realized . Impressive scenes when happens a storm with a well made ship to scale model . Good performances by all-star-cast as Van Johnson , Fred MacMurray , Jose Ferrer and of course Humphrey Bogart's tour-de-force performance in the climactic courtroom scene was so powerful that it completely captivated the onlooking film technicians and crewmen . After the scene's completion, the company gave Bogart a round of thunderous applause . Besides , an excellent plethora of secondary actors : E.G. Marshall , Claude Akins , Whit Bissell , Edward Franz , Warner Anderson , James Best and Lee Marvin . Interesting screenplay by Stanley Roberts based on the prestigious novel from Herman Wouk who won Pulitzer Prize . Evocative and appropriate music score by the classic Max Steiner with perdurable leitmotif . Colorful cinematography in marvelous Technicolor by Franz Planer .
The motion picture is stunningly directed by Edward Dmytryck , he was a craftsman whose career was interrupted by the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), a congressional committee that employed ruthless tactics aimed at rooting out and destroying what it saw as Communist influence in Hollywood . A lifelong political leftist who had been a Communist Party member briefly during World War II, Dmytryk was one of the so-called "Hollywood Ten" who refused to cooperate with HUAC and had their careers disrupted or ruined as a result. The committee threw him in prison for refusing to cooperate, and after having spent several months behind bars , Dmytryk decided to cooperate . Dmytrick's biggest film was ¨The Caine Mutiny¨ , but he also realized another mutiny film titled : ¨Mutiny¨ with Angela Lansbury , Mark Stevens and Patrick Knowles . Edward was an expert on warlike genre as ¨Back to Batan¨ , ¨Battle of Anzio¨ , ¨Young lions¨ and Western as ¨Broken lance¨ , ¨Alvarez Kelly¨ , ¨Warlock¨ among others. Rating : a complete must see , it's recommended for courtroom drama enthusiasts and Bogart fans . Followed by a full-length adaptation, THE CAINE MUTINY COURT-MARTIAL (TV,1988) originally staged as a play , of the court-martial segment from the novel "The Caine Mutiny" by Robert Altman with Brad Davis , Eric Bogosian , Peter Gallaher , Kevin J O'Connor , Jeff Daniels and Michael Murphy .
A psychological drama that begs the question - who is the real villain here?
AlsExGal2 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
In the 1950's films about the problems that you encounter during wartime that have nothing to do with the enemy itself began to appear. This was one of the best. WWII threw all kinds of people together from all walks of life. There were the core career Navy along with the many who were drafted into the service because of the war, maybe disrupting plans, but they planned to make the best of it.
This is the situation on the USS Caine. A new captain arrives, Lt. Commander Philip Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), professional navy man. At first, it just looks like the captain is a strong advocate of discipline, something the Caine has apparently not had much of up to this time. But then he starts seeing things that aren't there - like insisting that a man in the distance isn't properly dressed for a drill - the officers look and see that he is. He does things that indicate he could be paranoid, and that being under the strain of wartime he could have lost his nerve OR he could just be a captain that likes strict discipline. The truth would be in the eye of the beholder. You don't want to be an officer on the Caine arguing point A if the person you are making your argument to is an admiral that sees point B and believes you are just a whiner, or worse, a mutineer.
In the midst of this are the ship's three officers. The instigator that brings about the eventual mutiny is Tom Keefer (Fred McMurray), who was a writer in peacetime. He tries to convince Lt. Steve Maryk (Van Johnson) as well as the young Ensign Willie Keith (Robert Francis), that the captain is mentally ill, headed for a breakdown, and possibly taking the ship with him. Keith is easily swayed by his older fellow officers, just a high society college guy who has always done what mama told him to do. Maryk is the most independent minded of the three, most interested in doing what is right. So when Queeg seems to lose his nerve in a typhoon and refuses to give an order that will save the ship, Maryk takes in all he has been fed by Keefer, considers the situation, and takes control of the Caine based on navy regulations that are germane if the captain is incapacitated. Only thing is, the captain hasn't been shot or taken physically ill, and Maryk and Keith are put on trial for mutiny before a court martial. Keefer has managed to play both sides of this and stay safely out of harm's way, having never voiced his opinions of the captain in front of anybody but Maryk and Keith.
Second billed Jose Ferrer, who doesn't appear until the last part of the movie, earns his second billing as the navy attorney who is disgusted by his clients, yet agrees to take the case. It's a tricky business proving innocence in this case, because he is not allowed to directly attack the integrity of Queeg, because that is an infraction of naval law in itself. And on terra firma, Captain Queeg no longer feels the pressure he did at sea and is particularly charming and articulate. What's worse, Keefer is looking after his own neck and throws Maryk and Keith under the bus to save himself when on the stand. How will this all turn out? Watch and find out.
Just an aside, a few people have said that the bit about Keith and his girl are just padding. I beg to differ. It shows that in spite of being head over heels in love, Keith does not have the nerve to stand up to his mother and tell her. If Keith can't stand up to mom, what chance would he have with Keefer? He was a follower in the first degree.
Bogart was great here as a guy who is supposed to be the villain in a way, but has a completely sympathetic part. As Ferrer's character points out, when everyone else was all tucked away safe in their beds, it was people like Queeg that kept the navy going in peacetime, before the war. The scene before the mutiny where Queeg basically goes to the ship's other officers for help after he realizes he is so strongly disliked and comes up empty adds further sympathy and thus ambiguity to his part.
This is great storytelling about a group of people who have nothing in common brought together to fight a war which in this case yields tragic results. In other words, it is very realistic. I highly recommend this old film.
This is the situation on the USS Caine. A new captain arrives, Lt. Commander Philip Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), professional navy man. At first, it just looks like the captain is a strong advocate of discipline, something the Caine has apparently not had much of up to this time. But then he starts seeing things that aren't there - like insisting that a man in the distance isn't properly dressed for a drill - the officers look and see that he is. He does things that indicate he could be paranoid, and that being under the strain of wartime he could have lost his nerve OR he could just be a captain that likes strict discipline. The truth would be in the eye of the beholder. You don't want to be an officer on the Caine arguing point A if the person you are making your argument to is an admiral that sees point B and believes you are just a whiner, or worse, a mutineer.
In the midst of this are the ship's three officers. The instigator that brings about the eventual mutiny is Tom Keefer (Fred McMurray), who was a writer in peacetime. He tries to convince Lt. Steve Maryk (Van Johnson) as well as the young Ensign Willie Keith (Robert Francis), that the captain is mentally ill, headed for a breakdown, and possibly taking the ship with him. Keith is easily swayed by his older fellow officers, just a high society college guy who has always done what mama told him to do. Maryk is the most independent minded of the three, most interested in doing what is right. So when Queeg seems to lose his nerve in a typhoon and refuses to give an order that will save the ship, Maryk takes in all he has been fed by Keefer, considers the situation, and takes control of the Caine based on navy regulations that are germane if the captain is incapacitated. Only thing is, the captain hasn't been shot or taken physically ill, and Maryk and Keith are put on trial for mutiny before a court martial. Keefer has managed to play both sides of this and stay safely out of harm's way, having never voiced his opinions of the captain in front of anybody but Maryk and Keith.
Second billed Jose Ferrer, who doesn't appear until the last part of the movie, earns his second billing as the navy attorney who is disgusted by his clients, yet agrees to take the case. It's a tricky business proving innocence in this case, because he is not allowed to directly attack the integrity of Queeg, because that is an infraction of naval law in itself. And on terra firma, Captain Queeg no longer feels the pressure he did at sea and is particularly charming and articulate. What's worse, Keefer is looking after his own neck and throws Maryk and Keith under the bus to save himself when on the stand. How will this all turn out? Watch and find out.
Just an aside, a few people have said that the bit about Keith and his girl are just padding. I beg to differ. It shows that in spite of being head over heels in love, Keith does not have the nerve to stand up to his mother and tell her. If Keith can't stand up to mom, what chance would he have with Keefer? He was a follower in the first degree.
Bogart was great here as a guy who is supposed to be the villain in a way, but has a completely sympathetic part. As Ferrer's character points out, when everyone else was all tucked away safe in their beds, it was people like Queeg that kept the navy going in peacetime, before the war. The scene before the mutiny where Queeg basically goes to the ship's other officers for help after he realizes he is so strongly disliked and comes up empty adds further sympathy and thus ambiguity to his part.
This is great storytelling about a group of people who have nothing in common brought together to fight a war which in this case yields tragic results. In other words, it is very realistic. I highly recommend this old film.
A Movie As Schizophrenic As Its Antagonist
Arthur2174315 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is about the ravages of war and what it can do to a man under the strain of combat.
But much more than that it is an indictment of an armed service that remained in denial when it had a problem until forced to deal with it, and then treated the ones who brought the problem to light as the enemy. In other words, the old "Shoot the Messenger" mentality.
The details: A ship's captain snaps and has a nervous breakdown at a crucial time. A junior officer relieves him of command in order to save the ship and the lives of all aboard. A company of three of the captain's junior officers had previously gone to speak to the admiral about the captain's bizarre behavior and then one of them backed out. He was made to look gutless and yellow for doing so, but he was really just being practical. He recognized the futility of trying to tell a system that operates in denial -- where covering things up when they portray the system in a bad light is SOP -- that they have a problem.
The attorney for the accused put on a competent defense and then spat venom at his client after he got him declared not guilty of mutiny. How dare he shame the nice war-hero captain who had done so much for his country! See? If they had just let the captain sink his own ship then he and they would have been dead war heroes and everybody involved would have been properly mourned and remembered. This way they had to deal with the reality of one of their heroes having lost it because he couldn't take the pressure.
I sat there at the end of this movie and wondered if this movie was as schizoid as its antagonist. The subordinate officer followed the rules according to Article 1088, was later vindicated, and the movie called his actions "Mutiny". What was the message? Follow the rule book and relieve a senior officer when he shows mental incompetence and you deserve to be judged a rat fink later? Hardly a recruiting technique designed to attract the finest to the service of their country, is it?
In the end this movie deals -- whether consciously or unconsciously -- with the age-old conflict in the mindset of the military armed services: Do they put the country first, or the service itself? It's a balancing act that will always go on in a free society, where a country's domestic enemies are the most dangerous and insidious of all.
We need our finest at the helm -- the ones who aspire to high command for the most noble and unselfish of motives. And we need armed services that deserve such a class of men and women. Insofar as The Caine Mutiny depicts reality in the armed services, we have a ways to go.
But much more than that it is an indictment of an armed service that remained in denial when it had a problem until forced to deal with it, and then treated the ones who brought the problem to light as the enemy. In other words, the old "Shoot the Messenger" mentality.
The details: A ship's captain snaps and has a nervous breakdown at a crucial time. A junior officer relieves him of command in order to save the ship and the lives of all aboard. A company of three of the captain's junior officers had previously gone to speak to the admiral about the captain's bizarre behavior and then one of them backed out. He was made to look gutless and yellow for doing so, but he was really just being practical. He recognized the futility of trying to tell a system that operates in denial -- where covering things up when they portray the system in a bad light is SOP -- that they have a problem.
The attorney for the accused put on a competent defense and then spat venom at his client after he got him declared not guilty of mutiny. How dare he shame the nice war-hero captain who had done so much for his country! See? If they had just let the captain sink his own ship then he and they would have been dead war heroes and everybody involved would have been properly mourned and remembered. This way they had to deal with the reality of one of their heroes having lost it because he couldn't take the pressure.
I sat there at the end of this movie and wondered if this movie was as schizoid as its antagonist. The subordinate officer followed the rules according to Article 1088, was later vindicated, and the movie called his actions "Mutiny". What was the message? Follow the rule book and relieve a senior officer when he shows mental incompetence and you deserve to be judged a rat fink later? Hardly a recruiting technique designed to attract the finest to the service of their country, is it?
In the end this movie deals -- whether consciously or unconsciously -- with the age-old conflict in the mindset of the military armed services: Do they put the country first, or the service itself? It's a balancing act that will always go on in a free society, where a country's domestic enemies are the most dangerous and insidious of all.
We need our finest at the helm -- the ones who aspire to high command for the most noble and unselfish of motives. And we need armed services that deserve such a class of men and women. Insofar as The Caine Mutiny depicts reality in the armed services, we have a ways to go.
Assumptions and Reality
suncruiser444 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Having served in the U.S. Navy for 32 years, I can accurately state that many of the characters and situations depicted in Wouk's book and in the film are all very real.... from the fresh faced Ensign Keith assuming the outboard ship was the Caine, to getting blown off his feet by the shocking sound of a steam whistle, to the SNAFU of attempting to stream sweeping gear, to Queeq's introductory monologue in the wardroom, and thousands of other details. To those of you who assume that men of the likes of Queeg, Maryk, Keefer, Keith, DeVries and others just couldn't exist in the USN, you need to enlist, go to sea, and experience the smell of cabbages and stack gas for yourself. Or take my word for it!
Flawed movie, but some very gripping scenes
zwrite217 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Humphrey Bogart's performance in "The Caine Mutiny" was the second-best of his career. Only his performance in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," one of Hollywood's best-ever, was better. And, yes, I did watch "Casablanca."
Bogart's outstanding acting makes the movie's gripping scenes even more compelling. The best scene is his falling apart on the witness stand a sort of subdued version of Jack Nicholson's memorable breakdown in "A Few Good Men." The other great scenes were when Van Johnson takes over command of the ship as Bogart vacillates during a typhoon and the hunt for the missing strawberries.
Throughout "Caine," the writers do a good job of showing how Bogart's Captain Queeg is an incompetent officer and one of those petty jerks everybody hates a compulsive authoritarian who tries to make up for his lack of substance by focusing on rules so he is always right and everyone else is wrong.
The confrontation between Bogart and his subordinates, the disputes between the officers about what to do about Queeg, the transformation of the Van Johnson character, and the canniness and cowardice of the Fred MacMurray character are also positive elements in the movie.
All this makes the ending absolutely infuriating. Jose Ferrer's speech is beyond ludicrous. It's based on two premises MacMurray was the brains behind the mutiny and the mutiny was unjustified. Half the movie is about MacMurray laying the groundwork for the mutiny so Ferrer's conclusion is news only to himself.
The second premise is just dumb. Bogart had acted incompetently and cowardly at sea twice before the typhoon and blamed others for his mistakes. Ferrer's declaration that Johnson would not have had to act against Bogie during the typhoon if officers had months earlier accepted their captain's plea for help and Johnson agreeing with Ferrer makes no sense. Lives were in danger during the typhoon. Period.
The conclusion has the stench of U.S. Navy censorship.
I noticed that many IMDb posters rip the romance between the young officer and his girlfriend. This is interesting since there are countless 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s movies with unconvincing romances that appear to be patronizing attempts to win over female viewers, and many of those romances are barely criticized.
The romance in this movie is less distracting and time-consuming than many others. At least I can see what the writers were trying to do make us interested in the young officer so we viewers care about what happens to him later on. This works up to a point. It ultimately does NOT work -- not because the romance is uninteresting, but because the officer's character is NOT developed. He is an uninteresting observer for most of "Caine," and he is a milquetoast when he takes stands on principle later in the film.
Robert Francis' lack of development in "Caine" compares unfavorably to the transformations of Jack Lemmon and Charlie Sheen in "Mister Roberts" and "Platoon." It doesn't help that Francis is not a good actor.
The writers should have spent more time developing Francis' character instead of using 35 minutes before Bogart enters the movie or they should have downplayed Francis and focused on Van Johnson instead.
I gave "Caine" a 7.
ZWrite
P.S. -- By the way, nominating the actor who played Queeg's predecessor instead of MacMurray for a Best Supporting Oscar is preposterous.
Bogart's outstanding acting makes the movie's gripping scenes even more compelling. The best scene is his falling apart on the witness stand a sort of subdued version of Jack Nicholson's memorable breakdown in "A Few Good Men." The other great scenes were when Van Johnson takes over command of the ship as Bogart vacillates during a typhoon and the hunt for the missing strawberries.
Throughout "Caine," the writers do a good job of showing how Bogart's Captain Queeg is an incompetent officer and one of those petty jerks everybody hates a compulsive authoritarian who tries to make up for his lack of substance by focusing on rules so he is always right and everyone else is wrong.
The confrontation between Bogart and his subordinates, the disputes between the officers about what to do about Queeg, the transformation of the Van Johnson character, and the canniness and cowardice of the Fred MacMurray character are also positive elements in the movie.
All this makes the ending absolutely infuriating. Jose Ferrer's speech is beyond ludicrous. It's based on two premises MacMurray was the brains behind the mutiny and the mutiny was unjustified. Half the movie is about MacMurray laying the groundwork for the mutiny so Ferrer's conclusion is news only to himself.
The second premise is just dumb. Bogart had acted incompetently and cowardly at sea twice before the typhoon and blamed others for his mistakes. Ferrer's declaration that Johnson would not have had to act against Bogie during the typhoon if officers had months earlier accepted their captain's plea for help and Johnson agreeing with Ferrer makes no sense. Lives were in danger during the typhoon. Period.
The conclusion has the stench of U.S. Navy censorship.
I noticed that many IMDb posters rip the romance between the young officer and his girlfriend. This is interesting since there are countless 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s movies with unconvincing romances that appear to be patronizing attempts to win over female viewers, and many of those romances are barely criticized.
The romance in this movie is less distracting and time-consuming than many others. At least I can see what the writers were trying to do make us interested in the young officer so we viewers care about what happens to him later on. This works up to a point. It ultimately does NOT work -- not because the romance is uninteresting, but because the officer's character is NOT developed. He is an uninteresting observer for most of "Caine," and he is a milquetoast when he takes stands on principle later in the film.
Robert Francis' lack of development in "Caine" compares unfavorably to the transformations of Jack Lemmon and Charlie Sheen in "Mister Roberts" and "Platoon." It doesn't help that Francis is not a good actor.
The writers should have spent more time developing Francis' character instead of using 35 minutes before Bogart enters the movie or they should have downplayed Francis and focused on Van Johnson instead.
I gave "Caine" a 7.
ZWrite
P.S. -- By the way, nominating the actor who played Queeg's predecessor instead of MacMurray for a Best Supporting Oscar is preposterous.
Man going overboard...
Howlin Wolf21 April 2007
One thing it's really good to see is Humphrey Bogart showing his range and giving a truly vulnerable performance. Cynicism is usually the protective armour of a Bogie character, but in Queeg we have the opposite of a cynic - a man so obsessed with doing even trivial things by the book that his underlings decide he is no longer fit for his job. To understand and embrace routine is obviously necessary in military life, but this rigid adherence ultimately becomes a distraction from performing his necessary duties. It's a perfect showcase for how the pressure-cooker atmosphere of always living with the threat of war can make otherwise tough men crumble.
It's a subtle show from Bogart, his demonstration of illness encompassing a number of tics which get worse as he starts to unravel from being judged up there on the stand. It's a cleverly escalating portrait, and the film never feels rushed, but for me the story started to get less interesting once everybody entered the courtroom. I generally don't like legal dramas, because out of necessity the focus becomes more on the mechanics of the plot than getting to examine human personalities. This is just a personal preference, however, and if you're a person who combines an admiration for Humphrey Bogart with a passion for the technicalities of the law, then I don't see how you could go far wrong in selecting "The Caine Mutiny".
It's a subtle show from Bogart, his demonstration of illness encompassing a number of tics which get worse as he starts to unravel from being judged up there on the stand. It's a cleverly escalating portrait, and the film never feels rushed, but for me the story started to get less interesting once everybody entered the courtroom. I generally don't like legal dramas, because out of necessity the focus becomes more on the mechanics of the plot than getting to examine human personalities. This is just a personal preference, however, and if you're a person who combines an admiration for Humphrey Bogart with a passion for the technicalities of the law, then I don't see how you could go far wrong in selecting "The Caine Mutiny".
One of the best movies ever!
scott-nb27 November 2004
My memories of this film are formed from a long time ago. I was about 10 or eleven when I first saw this film and my impressions of it have never changed from that day to this. In my opinion it is probably one of the best films ever made. From the opening sequence to the last frame , it is a gripping tale of how humans react when under intense pressure and when lives are a stake. I feel that Humphrey Bogart's performance underlines the ongoing brilliance of this incredible actor, he plays this part to perfection. It is worth noting that compared to modern movies of the same genre, it is hard to find a performance that stands up to Bogart's skill in this role. I actually preferred this role to his generally acknowledged high in Casablanca! I cannot leave this short review without mentioning Jose Ferrer's supporting role as the Naval Defense lawyer. Quite simply it was and remains masterful - a consummate performance! I highly recommend this movie and would expect that it is in the top 100 movies ever made.
A great film.
dvanhouwelingen6 December 2000
For anyone who thinks all Humphrey Bogart did was play Humphrey Bogart in every film, you have to see THE CAINE MUTINY. This is miles away from any other performance Bogart ever gave. Instead of a tough "stick my neck out for no one" personality Bogart is famous for, his Captain Queeg is a neurotic, paranoid fool. Bogart pulls it off flawlessly. The rest of the cast is also stellar, particularly the underrated Fred MacMurray. This is a wonderful film.
The Caine Mutiny (1954) Humphrey Bogart, Van Johnson
abralive9 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
In what would be one of Humphrey Bogart's last motion pictures before his death in 1957, one of the most sterling actors of all time gives a poignant and most memorable performance as a lonely, broken commander of a naval mine-sweeping ship who desperately seeks the acceptance and loyalty of his otherwise uncaring, subordinate officers.
The perpetrator of this treachery is the Communications Officer, Lt Tom Keefer (Fred MacMurray). A cynical know-it-all who actually knows nothing, he plots a course of deception and cowardice to convince Captain Queeg's first officer, Lt Steve Maryk (Van Johnson) to believe that the Captain is unstable and that he (Maryk) should step in and "relieve" the Captain of his duties. The first officer tells Lt Keefer in no uncertain terms that he will not be a party to his suggestions, but only after several unsavory incidents from the Captain, does he take Lt Keefers suggestions to heart.
Meanwhile, Ensign Willis Keith (Robert Francis), a Princeton graduate is emotionally involved not only with the affairs on ship, but with a pretty night club singer, May Wynn (her name in real life). Through out the movie, at least where "Willie" is concerned, its a see-saw scenario between military protocol and romance. Add to this the obsessive, compulsive nature of Willie's mother and things become very interesting.
This motion picture differs in most in the fact that it has two climaxes which work together. The typhoon and the court martial. These two integral elements help explain the other parts of the movie.
Based on the novel by Herman Wouk and directed by Edward Dmytryk (Till The End Of Time, The Young Lions) The Caine Mutiny bridges the gap between staunch patriotism and heart felt emotion. It is by far Humphrey Bogart's last tribute to the motion picture industry and everyone who loved him.
(Special note: Almost everyone, as of this writing, who appeared in this motion picture has passed away except for Van Johnson, who will turn 89 late this summer. Robert Francis who played Willis Keith, died in a plane crash not long after this film was made).
The perpetrator of this treachery is the Communications Officer, Lt Tom Keefer (Fred MacMurray). A cynical know-it-all who actually knows nothing, he plots a course of deception and cowardice to convince Captain Queeg's first officer, Lt Steve Maryk (Van Johnson) to believe that the Captain is unstable and that he (Maryk) should step in and "relieve" the Captain of his duties. The first officer tells Lt Keefer in no uncertain terms that he will not be a party to his suggestions, but only after several unsavory incidents from the Captain, does he take Lt Keefers suggestions to heart.
Meanwhile, Ensign Willis Keith (Robert Francis), a Princeton graduate is emotionally involved not only with the affairs on ship, but with a pretty night club singer, May Wynn (her name in real life). Through out the movie, at least where "Willie" is concerned, its a see-saw scenario between military protocol and romance. Add to this the obsessive, compulsive nature of Willie's mother and things become very interesting.
This motion picture differs in most in the fact that it has two climaxes which work together. The typhoon and the court martial. These two integral elements help explain the other parts of the movie.
Based on the novel by Herman Wouk and directed by Edward Dmytryk (Till The End Of Time, The Young Lions) The Caine Mutiny bridges the gap between staunch patriotism and heart felt emotion. It is by far Humphrey Bogart's last tribute to the motion picture industry and everyone who loved him.
(Special note: Almost everyone, as of this writing, who appeared in this motion picture has passed away except for Van Johnson, who will turn 89 late this summer. Robert Francis who played Willis Keith, died in a plane crash not long after this film was made).
A Product Of Its Time
Theo Robertson19 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
When watching THE CAINE MUTINY it's very important to remember what was happening in America at the time . 1947 The House Of Un-American Activities started its investigation in to Communist sympathies in Hollywood which led to film makers . Anyone not co-operating to the committee or being suspected of knowing less than they should would very quickly find themselves out of a job or even jailed for contempt of court . One of those film makers jailed was Edward Dmtryk who later directed THE CAINE MUTINY .Knowing this it's obvious what the subtext is . It's a film like SHANE or HIGH NOON where a stand up guy makes a stand and finds himself abandoned by people he considered as friends . This mirrors the experiences those people appearing in front of The House Of Un-American Activities had when they stood up for principles .
The crew of the ship USS CAINE find themselves under the command of Captain Queeg a man who can be expected to install discipline upon a sloppy crew . As the story continues it becomes clear that Queeg is a man who can't see the bigger picture because of small details . The ship cuts its own towline due to Queeg reprimanding a sailor . That's jut the start of the crews troubles since he is a man of petty obsession such as believing there's a copy of a key being used by someone to steal food supplies . Fearful this might lead to disaster Lt Keefer suggests to Lt Maryk and Ensign Keith that there's a calamity in the making and during a typhoon Lt Maryk takes command of the ship in order to save the Caine and the crew . But Maryk finds himself on a mutiny charge , a capital offence and Keefer won't lift a finger to help Maryk . It's a good premise with a good cast . Bogart makes a memorable film character and we can empathise with Maryk's dilemma and feel resentment towards Keefer because we've all experienced that type of betrayal to a small extent
Where the film fails is that the story isn't well told . Much of the character focus is on Ensign Keith played by Robert Francis . Francis is certainly a pretty boy well suited to matinées but Keith is a spectator to events and ultimately a superfluous character . You get the feeling that he's cast to make THE CAINE MUTINY appeal to a prospective female audience and we've got subplots featuring Keith's mother and girlfriend . All this holds up the subtext featuring betrayal of friendship and intelligent points on practicalities on the chain of command . This means THE CAINE MUTINY is a good film but not a great one
The crew of the ship USS CAINE find themselves under the command of Captain Queeg a man who can be expected to install discipline upon a sloppy crew . As the story continues it becomes clear that Queeg is a man who can't see the bigger picture because of small details . The ship cuts its own towline due to Queeg reprimanding a sailor . That's jut the start of the crews troubles since he is a man of petty obsession such as believing there's a copy of a key being used by someone to steal food supplies . Fearful this might lead to disaster Lt Keefer suggests to Lt Maryk and Ensign Keith that there's a calamity in the making and during a typhoon Lt Maryk takes command of the ship in order to save the Caine and the crew . But Maryk finds himself on a mutiny charge , a capital offence and Keefer won't lift a finger to help Maryk . It's a good premise with a good cast . Bogart makes a memorable film character and we can empathise with Maryk's dilemma and feel resentment towards Keefer because we've all experienced that type of betrayal to a small extent
Where the film fails is that the story isn't well told . Much of the character focus is on Ensign Keith played by Robert Francis . Francis is certainly a pretty boy well suited to matinées but Keith is a spectator to events and ultimately a superfluous character . You get the feeling that he's cast to make THE CAINE MUTINY appeal to a prospective female audience and we've got subplots featuring Keith's mother and girlfriend . All this holds up the subtext featuring betrayal of friendship and intelligent points on practicalities on the chain of command . This means THE CAINE MUTINY is a good film but not a great one
A Studio Summit Type of film
bkoganbing5 October 2005
With the breakdown of the studio system in the Fifties, players no longer tied by contract to studios could command there own salaries. And the studios facing the competition of television paid them. It would have been almost impossible to make The Caine Mutiny a decade earlier. Three of the principal players Humphrey Bogart(Warner Brothers},Van Johnson,(MGM), and Fred MacMurray(Paramount)were all tied to other studios. But come the Fifties and Harry Cohn puts together a great cast for a great ensemble production at Columbia.
Humphrey Bogart got his third Academy Award nomination, but lost to Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront. Brando had been nominated and lost for three straight previous years, he was not to be denied again. In fact Bogey when he won for The African Queen in 1951 upset a heavily favored Brando. Some kind of poetic justice there.
There's a scene when Bogart takes command of the USS Caine from Tom Tully who's run a pretty slack ship up to that point. He gives Bogart a peace of advice about taking an easy strain, that the Caine was a tired ship. He didn't realize that he was talking to a tired captain.
Maybe someone in the Navy should have realized that and given Bogart a much needed rest. But they didn't and thereby hangs a tale.
The crew and the officers of the Caine, used to the easy ways of Tully, get real resentful of Bogart. But they also notice some disturbing behavior patterns in Bogart. It's a fine line that Bogart in his performance has to walk. Other reviewers compare his performance in The Caine Mutiny to his work in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Both characters disintegrate mentally, but whereas Fred C. Dobbs has nothing to hold him back, Philip Francis Queeg is in a command situation with the lives of his crew and of his ship at stake. And Queeg is not an evil man.
Fred MacMurray by now had shown he could do a lot more than the light comedy leads Paramount usually put him in. As Ensign Keefer who plants the seeds of mutiny on the Caine, he's shown to be a really shallow character.
Just as shallow is young Ensign Willie Keith played by newcomer Robert Francis. He's the hotshot from Princeton who's newly assigned to the Caine. Up to the point of the mutiny, it's his eyes in which we see the action on the Caine unfold, first with Tully in command and then with Bogart. After that it's Jose Ferrer's viewpoint as the Defense Counsel at the Court Martial.
Most reviewers single out Bogart and MacMurray for the most praise in the cast. I think Van Johnson is sadly overlooked. He's got a very complex part. He's the decent executive officer who sees Bogart's disintegration, doesn't know what to do about it, and gets manipulated by MacMurray. The key scene for him in the film is to convince Navy lawyer Jose Ferrer he's worthy of defending. Johnson does very well in that scene, maybe his best performance on film.
Jose Ferrer doesn't get into the film until it's two thirds done and then he dominates. He's a bit of a manipulator himself at the court martial. He also provides the real final verdict of the affair of The Caine Mutiny.
Tom Tully for playing Captain DeVries also got an Oscar nomination in the Supporting Actor category, but he lost to Edmond O'Brien for The Barefoot Contessa. Tully's character is critical here, he provides the contrast between himself and Bogart as men and as commanders. He's also not mentioned enough in critiques of the Caine Mutiny.
Most of the time I like for films to be resolved. But the very strength of The Caine Mutiny as drama is that the issues are unresolved. Could certain actions by the members of the crew, by the Navy itself prevented the whole thing? Just how culpable were the men and officers of the Caine in a mutiny?
You may scratch your head at the conclusion, but you'll also be breathless by the depth of the performances in this fine ensemble film.
Humphrey Bogart got his third Academy Award nomination, but lost to Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront. Brando had been nominated and lost for three straight previous years, he was not to be denied again. In fact Bogey when he won for The African Queen in 1951 upset a heavily favored Brando. Some kind of poetic justice there.
There's a scene when Bogart takes command of the USS Caine from Tom Tully who's run a pretty slack ship up to that point. He gives Bogart a peace of advice about taking an easy strain, that the Caine was a tired ship. He didn't realize that he was talking to a tired captain.
Maybe someone in the Navy should have realized that and given Bogart a much needed rest. But they didn't and thereby hangs a tale.
The crew and the officers of the Caine, used to the easy ways of Tully, get real resentful of Bogart. But they also notice some disturbing behavior patterns in Bogart. It's a fine line that Bogart in his performance has to walk. Other reviewers compare his performance in The Caine Mutiny to his work in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Both characters disintegrate mentally, but whereas Fred C. Dobbs has nothing to hold him back, Philip Francis Queeg is in a command situation with the lives of his crew and of his ship at stake. And Queeg is not an evil man.
Fred MacMurray by now had shown he could do a lot more than the light comedy leads Paramount usually put him in. As Ensign Keefer who plants the seeds of mutiny on the Caine, he's shown to be a really shallow character.
Just as shallow is young Ensign Willie Keith played by newcomer Robert Francis. He's the hotshot from Princeton who's newly assigned to the Caine. Up to the point of the mutiny, it's his eyes in which we see the action on the Caine unfold, first with Tully in command and then with Bogart. After that it's Jose Ferrer's viewpoint as the Defense Counsel at the Court Martial.
Most reviewers single out Bogart and MacMurray for the most praise in the cast. I think Van Johnson is sadly overlooked. He's got a very complex part. He's the decent executive officer who sees Bogart's disintegration, doesn't know what to do about it, and gets manipulated by MacMurray. The key scene for him in the film is to convince Navy lawyer Jose Ferrer he's worthy of defending. Johnson does very well in that scene, maybe his best performance on film.
Jose Ferrer doesn't get into the film until it's two thirds done and then he dominates. He's a bit of a manipulator himself at the court martial. He also provides the real final verdict of the affair of The Caine Mutiny.
Tom Tully for playing Captain DeVries also got an Oscar nomination in the Supporting Actor category, but he lost to Edmond O'Brien for The Barefoot Contessa. Tully's character is critical here, he provides the contrast between himself and Bogart as men and as commanders. He's also not mentioned enough in critiques of the Caine Mutiny.
Most of the time I like for films to be resolved. But the very strength of The Caine Mutiny as drama is that the issues are unresolved. Could certain actions by the members of the crew, by the Navy itself prevented the whole thing? Just how culpable were the men and officers of the Caine in a mutiny?
You may scratch your head at the conclusion, but you'll also be breathless by the depth of the performances in this fine ensemble film.
Uneven
howardeisman10 December 2010
Bogie, Johnson, McMurray, Tully, Marvin, and Akins are first rate.Bogie and McMurray are particularly good playing complex, unsympathetic characters. Johnson plays a not very bright guy, also a difficult role, which he handles nicely.
When May Winn and Robert Francis get the screen, it is awful.Their relationship (and social class differences) were part of the novel,but they don't click on screen. Who cares about them? Get back on board the Caine, quick, before I fall asleep.
Jone Ferrer chews up the scenery. His performance is not congruent with the other performers. He is supposed to be angry, but boiling over with rage? No. His loudness obscures the important point he is making during his drunk scene.
All in all, it is a slight disappointment given the great material the book provided. A main point of the book, that dysfunctional organizations make the workers within them just as dysfunctional, is not well developed.
When May Winn and Robert Francis get the screen, it is awful.Their relationship (and social class differences) were part of the novel,but they don't click on screen. Who cares about them? Get back on board the Caine, quick, before I fall asleep.
Jone Ferrer chews up the scenery. His performance is not congruent with the other performers. He is supposed to be angry, but boiling over with rage? No. His loudness obscures the important point he is making during his drunk scene.
All in all, it is a slight disappointment given the great material the book provided. A main point of the book, that dysfunctional organizations make the workers within them just as dysfunctional, is not well developed.
Among the best trial based movies - years before A FEW GOOD MEN
bellino-angelo201427 July 2020
I had always hopes for this movie since it's considered by many among the best war movies from the 1950s. But as I referred in the summary above, this is more a trial movie (and a bit the predecessor of 1992's A FEW GOOD MEN).
For the first half is about seaman Willis Seward Keith's (Robert Francis) enrollment in the Caine minesweeper. At first Keith is always criticized by Captain DeVriess, and after he is transferred he is replaced by Philip Francis Queeg (Humphrey Bogart). While Keith is happy after seeing Queeg scolding a sailor because of his uniform in disorder, Lieutenants Steve Maryk and Thomas Keefer (Van Johnson and Fred MacMurray) are a bit perplessed. And trouble is in the air: after a wrong naval maneuver because Queeg had to scold another sailor, all the crew hates Queeg and Maryk and Keefer think that it's because Queeg suffers of mental disorders. After some other troubles aboard they go to court and since all the eight judges retired, Lieutenant Barney Greenwald (Josè Ferrer) offers to help Maryk and Keefer in prooving their innocence. I won't tell anything more as there are lots of twists and turns in this part and I would only spoil the suspense.
This movie's greatest asset is the acting, exceptional by the leads: Humphrey Bogart gives one of his best performances ever as the apparently sane commander. Josè Ferrer (who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) is very effective as the prosecutor who, during a drunken stupor, reveals that Lt. Keefer was a coward and has to be blamed. Robert Francis (in one of his few movies before his death) is very wholesome.
However, one of the best war movies of its time and one of the best trial movies of all time (second only to TWELVE ANGRY MEN). Highly recommended.
For the first half is about seaman Willis Seward Keith's (Robert Francis) enrollment in the Caine minesweeper. At first Keith is always criticized by Captain DeVriess, and after he is transferred he is replaced by Philip Francis Queeg (Humphrey Bogart). While Keith is happy after seeing Queeg scolding a sailor because of his uniform in disorder, Lieutenants Steve Maryk and Thomas Keefer (Van Johnson and Fred MacMurray) are a bit perplessed. And trouble is in the air: after a wrong naval maneuver because Queeg had to scold another sailor, all the crew hates Queeg and Maryk and Keefer think that it's because Queeg suffers of mental disorders. After some other troubles aboard they go to court and since all the eight judges retired, Lieutenant Barney Greenwald (Josè Ferrer) offers to help Maryk and Keefer in prooving their innocence. I won't tell anything more as there are lots of twists and turns in this part and I would only spoil the suspense.
This movie's greatest asset is the acting, exceptional by the leads: Humphrey Bogart gives one of his best performances ever as the apparently sane commander. Josè Ferrer (who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) is very effective as the prosecutor who, during a drunken stupor, reveals that Lt. Keefer was a coward and has to be blamed. Robert Francis (in one of his few movies before his death) is very wholesome.
However, one of the best war movies of its time and one of the best trial movies of all time (second only to TWELVE ANGRY MEN). Highly recommended.
Superb second half, pity about the first hour.
tohu2 November 2007
This is a film of two halves. The first half is dreary and below average. The second half is superb.
That excellent second half of the movie concerns the actual mutiny that took place aboard the USS Caine. The principled, anguished officers (played by Van Johnson and Robert Francis) are egged on by their two-faced shyster colleague (Fred MacMurray) to take command of the ship from the increasingly paranoid captain (Humphrey Bogart). Whether they were right to do so is then played out in a superb courtroom drama, where military lawyers (E.G. Marshall and Jose Ferrer) take opposing sides in questioning all involved.
This part of the film - the mutiny and its aftermath - is gripping, brilliantly acted and full of aching moral dilemmas. Bogart, in one of his final screen roles, is absolutely magnificent as the flawed anti-hero, and MacMurray, Marshall and Ferrer also give great performances. Indeed, if the film consisted of just this part of the story it would be one of the best of its kind.
Unfortunately, someone in the production team decided that this drama needed a long introduction, so we have to sit through a meandering first hour before we get to the meat of the movie. Some of this over-long first hour is given to character development, but too much of it concerns unnecessary side-shows like the completely superfluous love affair between Francis's character and his sweetheart back home. The result is that many viewers will have switched off from the movie (either emotionally or literally) before the good stuff begins.
And that's a real shame because this really does mar what could have been a great film. I'm almost tempted to recommend that you should switch on after the first hour and just watch it from there - but that would be to disrespect the film. It is what it is and films should be judged on their entirety, not in segments (however tempting it is to do so).
So, on that basis, The Caine Mutiny deserves a 6, when without the first hour it could have garnered a 9. In production terms, for a film made in 1954, it looks terrific (though the widescreen shots of the ship being tossed on the waves during the typhoon scene lack the reality of more modern effects) and it is the acting of the leads that stays in your mind long after the film is over.
Given what I've said, I suppose the question that matters is: is the latter part of the film good enough to make it worth your while sitting through the slow beginning? And the answer is yes. After all, there are some great actors on display here, and in top form too. At the end of the day, that has to be worth waiting for.
That excellent second half of the movie concerns the actual mutiny that took place aboard the USS Caine. The principled, anguished officers (played by Van Johnson and Robert Francis) are egged on by their two-faced shyster colleague (Fred MacMurray) to take command of the ship from the increasingly paranoid captain (Humphrey Bogart). Whether they were right to do so is then played out in a superb courtroom drama, where military lawyers (E.G. Marshall and Jose Ferrer) take opposing sides in questioning all involved.
This part of the film - the mutiny and its aftermath - is gripping, brilliantly acted and full of aching moral dilemmas. Bogart, in one of his final screen roles, is absolutely magnificent as the flawed anti-hero, and MacMurray, Marshall and Ferrer also give great performances. Indeed, if the film consisted of just this part of the story it would be one of the best of its kind.
Unfortunately, someone in the production team decided that this drama needed a long introduction, so we have to sit through a meandering first hour before we get to the meat of the movie. Some of this over-long first hour is given to character development, but too much of it concerns unnecessary side-shows like the completely superfluous love affair between Francis's character and his sweetheart back home. The result is that many viewers will have switched off from the movie (either emotionally or literally) before the good stuff begins.
And that's a real shame because this really does mar what could have been a great film. I'm almost tempted to recommend that you should switch on after the first hour and just watch it from there - but that would be to disrespect the film. It is what it is and films should be judged on their entirety, not in segments (however tempting it is to do so).
So, on that basis, The Caine Mutiny deserves a 6, when without the first hour it could have garnered a 9. In production terms, for a film made in 1954, it looks terrific (though the widescreen shots of the ship being tossed on the waves during the typhoon scene lack the reality of more modern effects) and it is the acting of the leads that stays in your mind long after the film is over.
Given what I've said, I suppose the question that matters is: is the latter part of the film good enough to make it worth your while sitting through the slow beginning? And the answer is yes. After all, there are some great actors on display here, and in top form too. At the end of the day, that has to be worth waiting for.
BOGEY IS SO CONVINCING.... YOU'D LOVE TO KICK HIS A----
tcchelsey6 February 2020
Coming from a military family with a long history, I was taught to respect authority at a young age, however..... after decades of watching THE CAINE MUTINY I have marveled at the idea of wiping the floor with Captain Queeg, no matter what the penalty! I kid YOU not.
This extraordinary movie is one that we all can relate to as, whether you served in the military or are a civilian, we all at one time or another have had a superior who simply did not belong in that position. The genius of THE CAINE MUTINY is that it's high adventure, offering one classic scene after another, powered by an outstanding cast that gets the most out of their characters.
Fred MacMurray is interestingly cast, against type, as a first class heel who actually is the one who started the mutiny in the first place. Van Johnson is equally engrossing as the epitome of a fall guy, not to be outdone by Jose Ferrar as a Joe Friday/Jack Webb-type attorney who brings out the real Captain Queeg. Fantastic stuff that offers up a now classic courtroom sequence that may very well have in spired A FEW GOOD MEN, decades later.
One of Bogey's BEST later roles. Hands down. Bogart's next film was SABRINA. Recommended. Always on dvd and remastered blu ray.
This extraordinary movie is one that we all can relate to as, whether you served in the military or are a civilian, we all at one time or another have had a superior who simply did not belong in that position. The genius of THE CAINE MUTINY is that it's high adventure, offering one classic scene after another, powered by an outstanding cast that gets the most out of their characters.
Fred MacMurray is interestingly cast, against type, as a first class heel who actually is the one who started the mutiny in the first place. Van Johnson is equally engrossing as the epitome of a fall guy, not to be outdone by Jose Ferrar as a Joe Friday/Jack Webb-type attorney who brings out the real Captain Queeg. Fantastic stuff that offers up a now classic courtroom sequence that may very well have in spired A FEW GOOD MEN, decades later.
One of Bogey's BEST later roles. Hands down. Bogart's next film was SABRINA. Recommended. Always on dvd and remastered blu ray.
Great moments, but severely flawed movie
Itchload22 January 2003
Warning: Spoilers
I went into this movie a tad iffy on Humphrey Bogart. I liked him, but I just didn't see the total appeal. Needless to say, I gained a lot of respect for him after watching this, and he's easily the best (only good?) part of this movie. His performance is a great aside to his usual steadfast tough guy role. The scenes involving his decent into exhaustion/mental breakdown are done well, and not without a hint of humor (wacky strawberry misadventures, ext).
However, that's about where the positive aspects of this movie end. For starters, the ridiculous Oedipus complex subplot with Robert Francis' mother is redundant and tiresome. It's a big strain on the viewer to immediately figure out he needs to "not always listen to mother." Not helping things is the ridiculous, out of place romance with May Wynn, which seems to exist in a different movie. It really damages the mood and pace of the film. In fact, Robert Francis might deliver one of the worst performances in a "classic" film that I've seen. He's extremely wooden, and contrasted with
Bogart and MacMurray, he just can't carry any weight at all. (the rest of this paragraph contains "spoilers" so watch out) In addition, MacMurray's character's odd decision to sellout his friend in court just gives some uncomfortable moral ambiguity to the movie that it really doesn't need. The movie's descent into lame coutroom drama can't be faulted too much, as that plot convention hadn't yet become a cliche in 1954, but it certainly hasn't aged well. The whole courtroom sequence is like pulling teeth, and is nearly unwatchable. And the after-victory party which is "crashed" by the intoxicated defense lawyer who preceeds to give one of the lamest speeches in cinema, playing up the over the top moral ambiguity that MacMurray's character already uncomfortably instated didn't make any sense given the movie's first hour and half. Bogart went crazy, all the sympathy we need to feel for him was given in Bogart's great acting performance, the audience did not need to be batted over the head with it, especially in a scene late in the film where the movie's steam was rapidly deterioating. Finally, the last scene, which sort of takes on a wacky "all's well that ends well" feel seems tacked on, as if we're supposed to feel relieved at wooden stiff-Francis' learning experience. "The dedication to this film is simple--The US Navy" was also a copout for a final quote. The movie wasn't a total condemnation of the Navy, why kiss up? The movie had its themes in mind, let them stand on their own.
Well, that was a pretty big rant for a movie that I overall would recommend. The scenes with Bogart were great, but every time the film left the Caine it sunk (I didn't even realize what an awful pun that was until I typed it).
However, that's about where the positive aspects of this movie end. For starters, the ridiculous Oedipus complex subplot with Robert Francis' mother is redundant and tiresome. It's a big strain on the viewer to immediately figure out he needs to "not always listen to mother." Not helping things is the ridiculous, out of place romance with May Wynn, which seems to exist in a different movie. It really damages the mood and pace of the film. In fact, Robert Francis might deliver one of the worst performances in a "classic" film that I've seen. He's extremely wooden, and contrasted with
Bogart and MacMurray, he just can't carry any weight at all. (the rest of this paragraph contains "spoilers" so watch out) In addition, MacMurray's character's odd decision to sellout his friend in court just gives some uncomfortable moral ambiguity to the movie that it really doesn't need. The movie's descent into lame coutroom drama can't be faulted too much, as that plot convention hadn't yet become a cliche in 1954, but it certainly hasn't aged well. The whole courtroom sequence is like pulling teeth, and is nearly unwatchable. And the after-victory party which is "crashed" by the intoxicated defense lawyer who preceeds to give one of the lamest speeches in cinema, playing up the over the top moral ambiguity that MacMurray's character already uncomfortably instated didn't make any sense given the movie's first hour and half. Bogart went crazy, all the sympathy we need to feel for him was given in Bogart's great acting performance, the audience did not need to be batted over the head with it, especially in a scene late in the film where the movie's steam was rapidly deterioating. Finally, the last scene, which sort of takes on a wacky "all's well that ends well" feel seems tacked on, as if we're supposed to feel relieved at wooden stiff-Francis' learning experience. "The dedication to this film is simple--The US Navy" was also a copout for a final quote. The movie wasn't a total condemnation of the Navy, why kiss up? The movie had its themes in mind, let them stand on their own.
Well, that was a pretty big rant for a movie that I overall would recommend. The scenes with Bogart were great, but every time the film left the Caine it sunk (I didn't even realize what an awful pun that was until I typed it).
How does this get such a high rating?
Skywaybound29 May 2016
What's so great about this movie? Seriously. I don't get it. First, the love subplot is just wasting time. It adds NOTHING to anything related to a mutiny. I suppose it was considered necessary "character development." It's just plain annoying at its obvious contrivance.
Bogie is way too old for the part.
As for the mutiny itself. Well given the circumstances, and the fact that the captain was frozen with fear and stress, and incapable of making ANY decision at crunch time, it was really hardly any mutiny at all. Just a subordinate officer taking over for an incapacitated captain. The same as if old Bogie had just collapsed from a heart attack.
And the end? The crew made to FEEL guilty because they hadn't made nice with the captain? Well anytime anyone dare questioned him, the captain accused them of insubordination and threatened arrest. So it makes absolutely ZERO sense.
And the list goes on and on.....
The entire film is an insult to the intelligence.
Bogie is way too old for the part.
As for the mutiny itself. Well given the circumstances, and the fact that the captain was frozen with fear and stress, and incapable of making ANY decision at crunch time, it was really hardly any mutiny at all. Just a subordinate officer taking over for an incapacitated captain. The same as if old Bogie had just collapsed from a heart attack.
And the end? The crew made to FEEL guilty because they hadn't made nice with the captain? Well anytime anyone dare questioned him, the captain accused them of insubordination and threatened arrest. So it makes absolutely ZERO sense.
And the list goes on and on.....
The entire film is an insult to the intelligence.
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