Excellent Psychological Drama

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 2001)

The heart of "The Caine Mutiny" is the psychological struggle between the U.S.S. Caine's neurotic Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart, who gives a great performance in a role that was somewhat atypical for him) and his officers, most of whom have their own inner struggles.
On a first viewing, the movie is an effective and gripping drama. We first agonize over the dilemma of the officers who wonder whether they should openly resist their Captain as his grip on reality continues to deteriorate, and then, after the inevitable confrontation, we anxiously wait to see whether the officers will be punished for doing what they were convinced was necessary. Both of these are enhanced by an outstanding cast and by many interesting sequences and attractive visuals.
Repeated viewings are also satisfying, since they make it possible to get a deeper appreciation of each officer's motivation, and of how each one's actions are reflective of his own personality and his own problems.
The main story is framed by a beginning and ending involving young Ensign Keith (Robert Francis) and Captain De Vriess (Tom Tully, who is terrific in this smaller role), the crabby old captain who preceded Queeg on the Caine, plus a sequence in the middle involving Keith on leave from the ship. This device (or sub-plot) does not work nearly as well as the main story, primarily because Ensign Keith's love interest and family difficulties slow things down considerably, without adding much interest to his own character. This is really the film's only noticeable imperfection.
Although set in World War II, it is not really a war film, and thus is well worth seeing even for viewers who are not interested in war movies. Anyone who enjoys excellent characterizations, psychological tension, or just good cinema, should enjoy watching "The Caine Mutiny".