The Caine Mutiny

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Van Johnson, Robert Francis
Directed by: Edward Dmytryk
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, War
1954

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: On board the Caine, Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) is looked upon unfavorably by two officers (Van Johnson, Robert Francis) under his command. They begin to suspect the captain of serious mental illness, and discuss relieving him of command.

Review:

Tim: I like movies set on board boats and ships. There is something dramatic and exciting about events unfolding on such a small space, often in the middle of an enormous ocean. As a result, I also like mutiny movies, well, because they are dramatic, intense, and I love saying the word, "mutiny."

While I'm on the subject of things I like, let me throw Humphrey Bogart in there. He is an incredible actor and I am always impressed with him. Here, he is a very strict captain who may or may not have swallowed too much seawater on his many voyages. I really like him in this role because it allowed him to show a different side to his acting ability. I also noticed that this film portrayed him as significantly shorter than those around him. The 5'8'' Bogart was never tall and domineering, but in most of his other films, the camera angles all make him look taller. He gives a rather brave performance here, and one that you should really see.

This film also happens to be quite a fascinating look at what sailors might have to go through if their captain suffered from some form of mental illness. There are not a lot of options available to the men. There are also considerable difficulties proving a captain to be unfit to run a ship and even harsher penalties for mutinous officers.

The Caine Mutiny is a very interesting film that showcases a great performance by Bogart, and I recommend it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Key Largo, Casablanca, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, High Sierra