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#462 - The Caine Mutiny
Edward Dmytryk, 1954
During World War II, the crew of a U.S. Navy battleship must contend with their new captain and his incredibly frustrating methods of commanding.
Geez, spoiler alert. But seriously, The Caine Mutiny is a decent if not amazing piece of wartime drama that starts off by stressing that a mutiny has never actually happened in the history of the U.S. Navy and that the events of the film are merely the exploration of such a hypothetical situation. Naturally, the film decides that the perfect way to frame such a situation for the audience is to introduce a new transfer (Robert Francis) who gets to witness events unfolding firsthand, from the titular ship's old captain getting sick of the ship's lack of discipline through to the new captain (Humphrey Bogart) and his obsession with discipline that ironically ends up causing more problems and discontent amongst the crew. Naturally, this leads to the crew considering relieving Bogart of his command, and it's not long before the opportunity arises...
The Caine Mutiny is pretty straightforward as far as dramas go and it's held up by some respectable actors. Bogart brings an appropriately unhinged demeanour to his usual grouchy charisma that becomes sufficiently challenged under stress (especially during the courtroom scenes that make up the film's third act), while actors such as Fred MacMurray, Van Johnson, and José Ferrer (especially the latter, who gets in some powerhouse moments despite only appearing during the film's final third). It's competently directed, though it does have its odd moment that doesn't work so well (such as a romantic sub-plot for Francis) and I can't help but feel like the quiet, character-driven courtroom scenes end up being more interesting than the action-packed thrills that actually take place onboard the Caine itself. It's decent enough for one watch, but it doesn't have much staying power.
Edward Dmytryk, 1954
During World War II, the crew of a U.S. Navy battleship must contend with their new captain and his incredibly frustrating methods of commanding.
Geez, spoiler alert. But seriously, The Caine Mutiny is a decent if not amazing piece of wartime drama that starts off by stressing that a mutiny has never actually happened in the history of the U.S. Navy and that the events of the film are merely the exploration of such a hypothetical situation. Naturally, the film decides that the perfect way to frame such a situation for the audience is to introduce a new transfer (Robert Francis) who gets to witness events unfolding firsthand, from the titular ship's old captain getting sick of the ship's lack of discipline through to the new captain (Humphrey Bogart) and his obsession with discipline that ironically ends up causing more problems and discontent amongst the crew. Naturally, this leads to the crew considering relieving Bogart of his command, and it's not long before the opportunity arises...
The Caine Mutiny is pretty straightforward as far as dramas go and it's held up by some respectable actors. Bogart brings an appropriately unhinged demeanour to his usual grouchy charisma that becomes sufficiently challenged under stress (especially during the courtroom scenes that make up the film's third act), while actors such as Fred MacMurray, Van Johnson, and José Ferrer (especially the latter, who gets in some powerhouse moments despite only appearing during the film's final third). It's competently directed, though it does have its odd moment that doesn't work so well (such as a romantic sub-plot for Francis) and I can't help but feel like the quiet, character-driven courtroom scenes end up being more interesting than the action-packed thrills that actually take place onboard the Caine itself. It's decent enough for one watch, but it doesn't have much staying power.