This Film Deserves A Salute

Rating: 9/10 (17 March 2009)

This film is one of the great 1950s movies about a WWII naval ship with numerous conflicts on-board. The very independent officers of the Caine also have some issues with the Captain (Humphrey Bogart) which culminate with a court martial trial. The film is reminiscent of other great naval court-martial films such as Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), Sea Wolf (1941) and Treasure Island (1950).
Based on the best selling, 1951 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Caine Mutiny was originally adapted for the Broadway stage (by producer Charles Laughton). The story follows young Willie Keith, junior officer, who has come aboard the worn out ship, The Caine, which is a less than stellar ship when it comes to reputation and discipline. The Captain of the ship is replaced during an assignment by another Captain by the name of Queeg. Queeg has had an illustrious career and is determined to bring the tired old mine sweeper back into Navy regulation. The officers on the Caine don't give Queeg any slack and not much favor and quickly he loses the respect of the crew. After a crucial mission the Caine and the rest of the fleet is caught in a hurricane which results in Queeg losing command and a trial of two of the officers one of whom is Keith.
Even though Keith (Robert Francis) is considered a main character the two characters that end up with the screen time are Lt. Commander Philip Francis Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) and Lt. Steve Maryk (Van Johnson) with a nod going to Lt. Barney Greenwald (José Ferrer). There is just no way that meek little Francis can hold his own against Bogart. On the screen Bogart has such presence that the audience is forced to root for him no matter what is incapacity seems to be. The court scenes which take up the last act or 1/3rd of the film are almost a toe to toe face-off between Bogart and Ferrer with both of them winning. The acting is thick in the picture's Technicolor backdrop.
To think that The Caine Mutiny could have such star power and have the good graces of the Navy when the ship and the officers are portrayed as sub par is unbelievable and must rest on the shoulders of Bogart. Director Edward Dmytryk doesn't seem a likely candidate to get the Navy's approval given that he is one of the original blacklisted "Hollywood Ten." The direction is great as is the acting. This was Bogart's last great role (he died three years later). The film was nominated for 7 Oscars but could not take any.