The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is a 2023 American legal drama film directed by William Friedkin as his final film. It is based on Herman Wouk's 1953 play of the same name, itself adapted from his novel The Caine Mutiny. Unlike the 1988 adaptation by Robert Altman, which uses the script of the play without any changes, the newer film updates the setting to 2022, during the waning days of The War on Terror.
After U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Philip Queeg (Kiefer Sutherland), captain of the destroyer U.S.S. Caine, is relieved of command by his XO Stephen Maryk (Jake Lacy) during a violent storm, Maryk is put on trial for mutiny. Maryk is defended by the reluctant lawyer Lt. Barney Greenwald (Jason Clarke), who is skeptical that Maryk's disobedience was justified. Nonetheless, Greenwald investigates during the trial whether the mutiny was necessary – and whether the respected Queeg was qualified for the position.
The film also stars Monica Raymund, Lewis Pullman, Jay Duplass, Tom Riley, and Lance Reddick, the latter in one of his final roles.
List of tropes applying to the film:
- Abled in the Adaptation: Queeg is portrayed as sane here, albeit struggling with anxiety. His therapists acknowledge he's a perfectionist who doesn't like accepting fault, but also point out he's simply a flawed human being nowhere close to being unfit for duty. Greenwald even notes Queeg would have likely helped drive the ship out of the cyclone had Maryk not immediately tried to mutiny.
- Ambiguous Ending: The film ends before the results of the trial are declared, though it's implied Maryk will be acquitted.
- Ambiguous Situation: Much of what actually happened aboard the Caine is left ambiguous. It's clear Queeg was authoritarian and often cruel, and that he struggled under pressure. However, he also respected Maryk's judgement up until the mutiny, and as Greenwald points out Keefer was the one who convinced Maryk of Queeq's incompetence and turned the ship against them.
- Artistic License – Military:
- Some of the actors are too old for the ranks their character hold, such as Kiefer Sutherland, who plays a lieutenant-commander at the age of 56note , and Jason Clarke, who plays a lieutenant at the age of 54note .
- Large sections of the script are kept unaltered from the original, so Queeg is referred to as a "regular" with the implication that the other Caine officers are draftees despite the time period being moved from World War II to the Global War on Terror.
- Like in the original novel, play, and film, Greenwald is a fighter pilot brought in to defend Maryk because he previously attended law school. With each branch of the modern US military maintaining a professional JAG Corps, there'd be no need to second a fighter pilot with no practical legal experience to defend the case, especially for a charge as serious as mutiny.
- Demoted to Extra: Keith is a minor character here and is sidelined in favor of Maryk and Keefer.
- Dirty Coward: Keefer. As Greenwald points out, he's the one who essentially started the mutiny, but he left Keith, Maryk, and Queeg to suffer the consequences and tried to escape responsibility at every turn.
- The Dog Was the Mastermind: Keefer gets the least focus out of the crewmen at first, but Greenwald reveals he's the one responsible for the mutiny, at least indirectly. His hatred of the Navy led him to sow discontent under Captain Queeg and fed Maryk's suspicions about Queeg's mental illness, but has spent the entire trial ducking away from the consequences.
- Freudian Excuse: Queeg's therapist notes that Queeg's perfectionism stems from a bad childhood. His parents divorced and he lived in poverty, which resulted in him placing all his self-worth in his career in the Navy and overcompensating whenever he feels it's been threatened.
- Grey-and-Gray Morality: Maryk and Keith genuinely meant well when they mutinied, but they still helped ruin Queeg's career and it's implied Queeg could have been convinced to leave the storm if Maryk hadn't jumped the gun. However, Queeg was also a borderline abusive taskmaster who harshly punished the crew for any slip-ups, and even his supporters acknowledge he's a paranoid perfectionist.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Queeg is a demanding taskmaster on the crew, punishing them harshly for any minor infraction. However, while it's implied he exaggerates Maryk and Keith's incompetence, he still kept them onboard despite their insubordination and it's implied he genuinely respected them prior to the mutiny.
- Karma Houdini: Keefer, as Greenwald lampshades, helped ruin Queeg and Maryk's careers and kickstarted the mutiny, but got off with no legal repercussions and is going to get rich off his book.
- Manipulative Bastard: Keefer manipulates Maryk into believing Queeg is unfit for duty and insane, and Greenwald calls him out as being ultimately responsible for the mutiny.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Queeg's glowing recommendation of Maryk in his fitness report is part of what Greenwald ultimately uses to destroy his reputation.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Greenwald gives a vicious one to Keefer at the end of the film, calling him out for sowing discontent against Queeg and manipulating Maryk into mutinying against him while never taking responsibility. He sums it up by pointing out he grounded a Navy ship away from where it was needed most in minesweeping operations, and throws his drink in his face.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Blakey is extremely fair-minded, going out of his way to make sure the trial is fair on both the witnesses and Maryk. He repeatedly offers chances to Maryk and Greenwald to back down from risky legal maneuvers, and objects to Challee and Greenwald in equal amounts when they overstep their bounds.
- Villainous Breakdown: Queeg at the climax. He goes off into a rant revealing all of his dubious command tactics, gradually realizing as he rants that he's destroyed his career.
