some good actors

Rating: 6/10 (11 November 2014)

Young Ensign Keith (Robert Francis) is assigned to the rust bucket USS Caine in WWII. He boards in Pearl Harbor, and is disappointed with the poor shape of the destroyer. The crew is a band of misfit rejects. Captain DeVriess is lax, weary and tired. However the executive officer Maryk (Van Johnson), communications officer Keefer (Fred MacMurray) and the rest of the crew are capable men. DeVriess is happy to be relieved by Queeg (Humphrey Bogart). At first, Keith is glad to have a strict disciplinarian at the helm but Queeg soon shows erratic behaviors.
The tone is too light especially with that music constantly coming up every two seconds. The movie needs to relax with the music. The tone needs to be darker and more threatening. The side story away from the ship is a waste of time. The love story is weak melodrama. The tension should be much higher. The acting is generally good although the movie is resting on the cast's least experienced shoulders of Robert Francis. At first, Keefer is overplaying it because Queeg is more incompetent than actually crazy. The movie needs to let Queeg lead the way or else the crew could be seen as over-reacting. The crazy talk should start only after the strawberry incident. After all, he could be just a hard man putting down the law. There is only one great scene with the ship in the storm. I just wish the whole movie has that level of tension and acting. The last part of the movie is the trial. It somewhat drags but Bogart is electric in his testimony. Also the last bit is problematic in a pox on all their houses.