"Ahh, but the strawberries!"

Rating: 9/10 (28 February 2019)

Thirty-eight years before Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson stood trial as Colonel Jessup in Rob Reiner's A Few Good Men, Humphrey Bogart delivered a parallel and equally magical performance as Lt. Commander Queeg in The Caine Mutiny. Both films center around the trial of subordinate officers and enlisted men who did what they thought right. Both films featured memorable performances that highlighted the strength of their supporting casts. If anything, one might say A Few Good Men's writer Aaron Sorkin used The Caine Mutiny as a source of divine inspiration. Above all, The Caine Mutiny remains a viable source of discussion on leadership and an admirable work of art.
The film takes place during the deadly Pacific island hopping campaign of World War II. When newly appointed Ensign Keith (Robert Francis) is assigned to a minesweeping ship, the USS Caine, he immediately realizes the ship and its crew are in poor shape. Very soon, the ship's captain is relieved and replaced by Lt Commander Queeg (Bogart). At first the captain seems rational, but as time goes on, his erratic behavior and mental unsteadiness show through, putting the vessel in risk of destruction. During a typhoon, Lt. Maryk (Van Johnson) and Lt. Keefer (Fred Mac Murray) decide remove the captain of command to save the ship, a mutinous act for which they could be hanged.
Bogart delivers arguably the most realistic performance of his career in his portrayal of paranoia and fear. He highlights the negative aspects of toxic leadership. Everything, from the accurate portrayal of ship life to the disconnect between officers and enlisted sailors, is palpable. The film uses real ships, attack boats, and uniforms (thanks to the US Navy) lending even more realism to the two hour drama. The only distracting element is Ensign Keith's on and off again relationship with a woman back at his home port. The choice to include this in the script seems as though it was meant to highlight the officer's humanity and remind the audience what he is fighting for. But for me, those scenes are long, distracting, and rather drab.
The Caine Mutiny features Bogart at his best. It is hard to fathom that the actor had cancer during the film's production. Still, the USS Caine and her crew have stood the test of time. The film is equally as enjoyable and relevant as it was nearly 50 years ago.