The Caine Mutiny (1954)
Written: Mar 27 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: cast, script, direction, humor, sets
Cons: Willie Keith, his girlfriend, and his mother
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| BrianKoller's Full Review: Caine Mutiny |
Herman Wouk's novel "The Caine Mutiny" was not only a bestseller. It won a Pulitzer Prize, and was made into a Broadway play, "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial". Stanley Kramer produced the film adaptation, which unlike the play, only used as the trial as the finale.
Early scenes aren't very promising. Our hero appears to be young Princeton graduate Willie Keith (Robert Francis). He's a proud twit with a wealthy, clinging mother (Katherine Warren) and a goody-goody nightclub singer (May Wynn) for a girlfriend. The resulting love triangle produces considerable angst.
Fortunately, the story soon shifts to the Pacific theater during World War II. Keith becomes an Ensign in the U.S. Navy, where he is assigned to a lowly minesweeper. Even more disappointing for Keith is the ship's captain, DeVriess (Tom Tully). DeVriess is seemingly a disinterested man who allows his crew to dress and behave as they please. The crew includes Lee Marvin and Claude Akins as slovenly comic relief sailors.
Keith is at first pleased when DeVriess is replaced by Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) as ship's captain. Queeg is both a strict disciplinarian and an unstable coward, earning the contempt of both officers and crew. Would-be novelist Lt. Keefer (Fred MacMurray) tries to convince earnest, humorless Lt. Maryk (Van Johnson) that Queeg should be relieved of command. Keith is caught in the middle.
A court martial follows. Ill tempered Lt. Greenwald (Jose Ferrer) reluctantly defends Maryk, while Lt. Challee (E.G. Marshall) serves as prosecutor. Queeg is called as a witness, and his paranoid breakdown (similar to that in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre) is a classic. Bogart's speaking voice is one of acting's greatest trademarks.
The Caine Mutiny had to make a few concessions to the U.S. Navy in order to use their facilities. The most important was the disclaimer that begins the film, stating that there had never been a mutiny in the history of the Navy.
Some stock footage is obvious during the sole battle scene, in which the Caine assists a Marine landing on a Japanese-held island. On the other hand, the typhoon scene is convincing. A model ship and a studio tank was likely used, but it looks real.
Bogart got the most mileage from The Caine Mutiny, getting an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. (He lost to Marlon Brando and On the Waterfront, which gobbled most of the major awards that year.) Also nominated was Tully as Best Supporting Actor. Ferrer, MacMurray and Johnson are also excellent. MacMurray is cast against type as the film's heel, as he would be in The Apartment (1960). Francis serves as male lead, but is surprisingly dislikable.
Despite the dull romance with Wynn, the screenplay by Stanley Roberts is generally very good. Tully, MacMurray and Bogart are given some great lines. The characters are all credible and well defined.
The Caine Mutiny received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Score, and Best Sound. (69/100)
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
BrianKoller
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Member: Brian Koller
Location: Plano, Texas
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Conservative grades, but kinder and gentler reviews.
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