Human nature goes to sea on the USS Caine

Rating: 7/10 (29 May 2007)

As all of the others have said, this is a great movie. All of the reasons covered so far are valid. The film is an excellent study of life on one of the U.S. Navy's smaller ships during World War II. However, the film has difficulty focusing on the main character. Queeg is a means to show how Willie comes of age. In the film, Willie's character becomes secondary. This explains why the love scene doesn't fit.
However, read the book. The movie is great. The book is excellent. It scores a 10. In the book the love story ties in. It is necessary. The ending of the book is completely different from the film. It shows the complete growth of Willie's character. He is the focus of the book. In the film his persona is a muddle. The book also gives us a final ending for the USS Caine.
As a young high school student, I was assigned the Caine Mutiny for summer reading. It has stayed with me all these years.
By all means, watch the film and read the book.