Caine And Ables

Rating: 9/10 (30 May 2010)

I'd seen this DVD on offer at a knock-down price for a few weeks and tended to ignore it feeling it was very probably dated. I was so wrong. Finally I bought it, watched it, and was blown away. Bogie is terrific, fully at ease playing against type, time and again allowing the insecure little kid to creep out from the bluster and temper the tyrant. Van Johnson, usually no better than insipid, also raises his game a notch or two as Maryk who allows himself to be manipulated by Fred MacMurray's text-book heel. In the last couple of reels Jose Ferrer might have walked away with acting honors had he not been sharing the screen with Bogie. Tom Tully is fine in support, topping-and-tailing things as both outgoing and incoming captain. Eddie Dymtryk has a good track record with morality movies (Crossfire) and his sure touch is evident here. Together with Mr. Roberts - also featuring a tyrannical captain - The Caine Mutiny is one of the finest naval-based second world war movies in existence.