History Literature / TheCaineMutiny

The story follows the ''Caine'''s tour of duty through the Pacific Theatre of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. During its voyage, Queeg gradually loses the respect of his crew through various instances of incompetence, bullying, paranoia, and perceived cowardice. After he becomes so obsessed with a missing quart of strawberries that he begins to ignore his other duties, some of his officers begin to suspect that he is insane.

The 1951 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize winner for Literature, ''The Caine Mutiny'' was written by Herman Wouk. He adapted the novel into a play called ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'', directed by Creator/CharlesLaughton, which opened shortly before a [[TheFilmOfTheBook film version of the novel]], also titled ''The Caine Mutiny'', was released in 1954. The film was produced by Creator/StanleyKramer and directed by Creator/EdwardDmytryk, and stars Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JoseFerrer, Creator/FredMacMurray, and Van Johnson. In 1988, CBS aired a well-received television adaptation of the play, directed by Creator/RobertAltman. A second film adaptation of the stage play (and the final film directed by Creator/WilliamFriedkin before his death) was released in 2023, with a SettingUpdate to the modern era.

Wouk later adapted the novel into a play, ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial''. It was adapted into a television film in 1988 by Creator/RobertAltman and in 2023 by Creator/WilliamFriedkin. For tropes applying to the latter adaptation, [[Film/TheCaineMutinyCourtMartial see here.]]

The 1951 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize winner for Literature, ''The Caine Mutiny'' was written by Herman Wouk. He adapted the novel into a play called ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'', directed by Creator/CharlesLaughton, which opened shortly before a [[TheFilmOfTheBook film version of the novel]], also titled ''The Caine Mutiny'', was released in 1954. The film was produced by Creator/StanleyKramer and directed by Creator/EdwardDmytryk, and stars Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JoseFerrer, Creator/FredMacMurray, and Van Johnson. In 1988, CBS aired a well-received television adaptation of the play, directed by Creator/RobertAltman.

* AmbiguousDisorder: In the book, while he doesn't suffer from shell shock as his movie counterpart does, Queeg does suffer from an undisclosed mental disorder that is compounded by an implied-to-be horrible personal life. We don't get any specifics because the Navy doctor who testifies to it can't provide specifics without violating Queeg's privacy, but his manic mood-swings suggest it to be bipolar disorder.

* LostFoodGrievance: A rare example both PlayedForDrama and deconstruction: the "strawberry incident", which Queeg believes is SeriousBusiness, is used to prove his incompetence. It starts out (in Queeg's mind) as a mere diversion and minor project to relieve the boredom of routine operation of the ship, but as Queeg gets more and more desperate in his quest to find a key that never existed, the nightmare grows darker and darker both for him and for the officers he relentlessly goads, never accepting any conclusion (including the truth, that some of the galley workers pilfered a few and were too afraid to admit it to Queeg) except his deduced version involving a duplicate key made from a wax impression.

* ShellShockedVeteran: The ultimate reason for Queeg's behavior. He doesn't ''want'' to be the bad guy, but the psychological trauma he's experienced prior to taking command of USS ''Caine'' has left him quite unstable. Humphrey Bogart's performance really sells it, as he switches from a calm, almost-apologetic demeanor in his PetTheDog moments to [[MoodWhiplash screaming at somebody over some trivial (or imaginary) offense a minute later]], and [[CharacterTics fidgeting with the ball bearings in his pocket]] as he tries to calm himself.

* SupportingProtagonist: Arguably Keith, who doesn't really advance the plot much until after the eponymous mutiny and the court-martial is finished. Maryk comes across more as TheHero of the story, and Keefer, Greenwald and Queeg also make for much more interesting characters. Even his role in the mutiny feels shoe-horned in; he was the Officer On Deck at the time and supported Maryk's decision, something most of the other officers ([[DirtyCoward aside from Keefer]], perhaps) [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating would likely have done]].

** An unusual case. Tom Keefer closely resembles Herman Wouk in many respects -- and is also cowardly, conniving, lazy, and disliked by the rest of the crew (except Keith). Greenwald even goes so far as to call him "[[LeaningOnTheFourthWall the real author of the ''Caine'' mutiny]]."

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: In his TheReasonYouSuckSpeech after the trial, Greenwald calls Keefer "the real author of the Caine mutiny". Keefer is an [[AuthorAvatar avatar]] of Herman Wouk, the ''literal'' author of ''The Caine Mutiny''.

* AdaptationalVillainy: The movie makes Keefer into much more of a slimeball by significantly playing up his [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative behavior]], while removing almost all of his sympathetic moments.

** An unusual case. Tom Keefer closely resembles Herman Wouk in many respects -- and is also cowardly, conniving, lazy, and disliked by the rest of the crew (except Keith). Greenwald even goes so far as to call him "the real author of the ''Caine'' mutiny."
** Keefer, like Wouk, is an author -- Wouk began to write his first novel, ''Aurora Dawn'' while serving onboard USS ''Zane'' (DMS-16).

** Keefer talks the others out of presenting their evidence to Admiral Halsey for this reason: everything Queeg has done so far is within regulations (such as ordering everyone to wear their helmets and lifejackets during action or enforcing the Navy's dress and grooming standards), which would make them come off as complaining about having to follow regulations.

** In the novel, Queeg setups one of these so he can cashew Stilwell out of the Navy. The jury, which is made up of the senior officers, are polled by Queeg before their deliberations and he makes it clear in no uncertain that he wants a guilty verdict. So they convict Stilwell...[[SubvertedTrope and sentence him to a loss of six liberties.]] As he'd already been confined to the ship, it's a slap on the wrist for Stilwell and a slap in the face to Queeg.

* DisproportionateRetribution: Queeg turns the men of the ''Caine'' against himself with handing out severe punishment for minor offenses. However, nothing he does is against the regulations; he just applies them very harshly.
* DoorStopper: The novel itself is a robust 500 or so pages depending on what edition you're looking at. And in-story, Tom Keefer's novel is longer than ''Literature/WarAndPeace''!

* AFatherToHisMen: Captain [=DeVriess=]. Under him the ''Caine'' performs admirably (if unconventionally), crew morale is high, and there's an almost brotherly bond from Captain, to Officers, to Sailors. The crew even buys him a silver wristwatch as a going away present when he's finally relieved of command. Of course, this is in direct contrast to [[TheNeidermeyer Queeg]].

** Arguably, the finest moment for Bogey in this film (and one of his best in his career) is the part where he, playing Queeg, is questioned by Greenwald, and realizes just how crazy he's sounding. The ''Caine'' officers have a collective one when Greenwald forces them to realize how badly they failed to help Queeg when he needed it. Even Keefer quietly accepts his tongue lashing instead of offering his usual wise cracks.

The next part of the book deals with Maryk's trial. His defender, Lt. Barney Greenwald, chooses to focus more on Queeg's actions than on Maryk's, eventually causing Queeg to break down on the stand. Maryk is acquitted (and Keith is never charged), but his and Queeg's naval careers are effectively over. However, at a party after the trial, an intoxicated Greenwald [[HiddenDisdainReveal turns on Keefer]]: He reveals his shame at having to break down Queeg on the stand, reflecting that Queeg's and the regulars' careers in America's peacetime Navy in the Atlantic had done more than the commissioned officers had ever done, and that the crew, particularly Keefer, had spurred the situation by disrespecting and mistreating Queeg, whose service in the Atlantic had left him in a [[ShellShockedVeteran fragile state of mind]] and should have been helped than publicly humiliated by being stripped of command of his own ship. He then goes on to accuse Keefer of being the true force behind the mutiny rather than Maryk, and throws a glass of champagne, the "yellow wine" in Keefer's face, shaming him and symbolically calling him a coward.

Keith returns to the ''Caine'', where he serves as Executive Officer. When the ship is struck by a Kamikaze off Okinawa, he keeps his head and saves her and most of her crew when the current commander, Keefer panics and jumps overboard, having [[HeWhoFightsMonsters become the coward he had accused Queeg of being]]. Instead of being repaired, the ''Caine'' is ordered to New York for decommissioning. As the officer assigned to take her home, Keith has the bittersweet honor of being the last captain of the ''Caine''.

The 1951 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize winner for Literature, ''The Caine Mutiny'' was written by Herman Wouk. He adapted the novel into a play called ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'', directed by Creator/CharlesLauton, which opened shortly before a [[TheFilmOfTheBook film version of the novel]], also titled ''The Caine Mutiny'', was released in 1954. The film was produced by Creator/StanleyKramer and directed by Creator/EdwardDmytryk, and stars Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JoseFerrer, Creator/FredMacMurray, and Van Johnson. In 1988, CBS aired a well-received television adaptation of the play, directed by Creator/RobertAltman.

The 1951 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize winner for Literature, ''The Caine Mutiny'' was written by Herman Wouk. He adapted the novel into a play called ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'', which opened shortly before a [[TheFilmOfTheBook film version of the novel]], also titled ''The Caine Mutiny'', was released in 1954. The film was produced by Creator/StanleyKramer and directed by Creator/EdwardDmytryk, and stars Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JoseFerrer, Creator/FredMacMurray, and Van Johnson. In 1988, CBS aired a well-received television adaptation of the play, directed by ''Creator/RobertAltman''.

The 1951 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize winner for Literature, ''The Caine Mutiny'' was written by Herman Wouk. He adapted the novel into a play called ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'', which opened shortly before a [[TheFilmOfTheBook film version of the novel]], also titled ''The Caine Mutiny'', was released in 1954. The film was produced by Creator/StanleyKramer and directed by Creator/EdwardDmytryk, and stars Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JoseFerrer, Creator/FredMacMurray, and Van Johnson.

* AdaptationDistillation: Most notably cutting down the TokenRomance to only a scene or two, and skipping past nearly everything leading up to Willie coming aboard the ''Caine'', and after the trial.

The 1951 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize winner for Literature, ''The Caine Mutiny'' was written by Herman Wouk. He adapted the novel into a play called ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'', which opened shortly before a [[TheFilmOfTheBook film version of the novel]], also titled ''The Caine Mutiny'', was released in 1954. The film was produced by Creator/StanleyKramer and directed by Edward Dmytryk, and stars Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JoseFerrer, Creator/FredMacMurray, and Van Johnson.

Everything comes to a head when the ''Caine'' is caught in a typhoon, during which Queeg becomes paralyzed by indecision. His second-in-command, Lt. Stephen Maryk, relieves him, citing mental illness, and brings the ship safely through the storm. Such an extreme act must be justified if Maryk (and Keith, who, as officer of the watch, supported him) is not to be found guilty of mutiny.

* ReassignedToAntarctica: In the book, it's implied Keith is posted to the ''Caine'' as punishment for almost being expelled from midshipman school. After the court martial, Maryk is given command of a landing ship and Queeg is sent to a supply depot in Iowa, which signals the end of both of their careers in the Navy.

* TheScapegoat: Keefer supports Lt. Maryk in his mutiny plot at first, but backs out and leaves him to be blamed. While, Maryk is tried under a general article ("conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline") rather than for actual mutiny, is acquitted of those charges, and the whole thing is something of an pretense to test Queeg's mental fitness, Maryk is still reassigned to Landing Craft Infantry as an unofficial demotion.

* ScaryScienceWords: The book takes a brief detour to illustrate just how

* TheScapegoat: Lt. Maryk

* AlasPoorVillain: It's very hard not to feel bad for Captain Queeg when he has his paranoid episode on the stand, as his mind simply collapses under the stress and strain of it all. [[HeelRealization The look on his face when he finally stops rambling and realizes that's he babbling nonsense]] and the subdued defeat in his tone as he [[SympathyForTheDevil and everyone else in the courtroom]] realizes his career in the navy is over is almost heart-wrenching.
** Bogart is so magnificently in the role at this point that he is ''visibly on the verge of tears'', holding them back (as Queeg) only by monumental effort

** This is mercilessly and utterly deconstructed in Greenwald's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech

* BotheringByTheBook: Maryk going by the book is partially what saves his bacon. The Navy realizes they can't charge him with mutiny because he never actually committed it as he relieved Queeg but remained in contact with and under the command of the appropriate Navy superiors above Queeg. As the JAG prosecutor puts it, Maryk misapplied the law, he didn't break it.
** Earlier, Keefer talks the others out of presenting their evidence to Admiral Halsey for this reason: everything Queeg has done so far is within regulations (such as ordering everyone to wear their helmets and lifejackets during action or enforcing the Navy's dress and grooming standards), which would make them come off as complaining about having to follow regulations.
*** At least that's what he ''claims'' is the reason - [[ManipulativeBastard it's one of the events]] he uses [[TreacheryCoverUp as cover]] during the trial

* [[TheAllegedCar The Alleged Ship]] / WhatAPieceOfJunk: The ''Caine'' is a rusty, obsolete ''Wickes''-class tub left over from UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. She's constantly being repaired, and the crew fights a neverending battle against the spreading rust. But not even a direct hit from a kamikaze can sink her.

* TheGhost: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Halsey_Jr. Admiral William Halsey]], who Maryk and Keefer try to see to get Queeg removed from command. It was Halsey who decided to try and brave the typhoon, [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom which sets in motion the mutiny]].