The Caine Mutiny is an uneven yet mostly effective film when it focuses upon the central drama and away from its tacked on lame romantic subplot.Humphrey Bogart really is more of a supporting player as the Captain of the World War II ship the Caine. He shows up and instantly everyone seems to be off put by him, and he himself seems very much upset by the his treatment upon arrival. Queeg is portrayed as a fairly incompetent Captain actually, and attempts to be a controlling although not cruel captain. Bogart brings a stern quality to the character that the freewheeling crew wasn't used to but not initially punitive. He tries to attempt to keep a regular order, which Bogart portrays as a struggle in confidence. He puts Queeg on the right border though and on the right kind of edge. He's trying to retain order of a man who might've had the strength at one point, but is now worn down. Bogart shows the nervousness of the Captain as something that grows the crew continue to undermine his basic orders, and Bogart effectively creates this weakness as growing with the frustrations in the character. There is a great moment, that is key to the thematic choices of the film, where Queeg pleads with his senior officers to help him out, but the Captain receives no words of help of comfort. Bogart is great in this scene as again he plays right on the edge of complete desperation. He shows the man at the turning point. This as he speaks with sincerity in asking the men to do their part to maintain order and rank. There is in Bogart's eyes the frustrations of being robbed of his confidence the same as he looks upon the men who basically ignore his requests and treat him as just a fool.
Bogart excels throughout the rest of the film in portraying the slow deterioration of Queeg's psyche as the officers continue to disobey him as do all the crew. Bogart reveals only a growing desperation in the man as he tries to get any respect yet receives none and portrays the man falling off his tipping point. Although Bogart portrays him as unappealing in these responses he does not actually show them to be entirely uncalled for, as he reveals again the fervent attempt to try to hold things together. Bogart shows this growing anxiety just as he brings a greater intensity in his shortness in each scene. Bogart's unease is terrific because again he finds the humanity in Queeg as he grows as a "villain", however a villain he never truly as. As the story goes on though Bogart reveals the way this control becomes all the more unstable built up until he decides that there is a theft aboard the ship. In this scene there is a madness in Bogart but in that he shows really this almost fatal final attempt to try to regain any sort of order aboard the ship which he cannot find. This in the sequence of assuming a theft ring has conspired on his boat. Bogart is fantastic in presenting this mania specifically as this kind of last ditch attempt at confidence and control. The desperation itself is in this speech, and his eyes this yearning hope to get something from this. Bogart's delivery isn't of a man who wants this, but needs this to create some sense of control on what is supposed to be his ship. When this is yet any failure this leads to his freezing up moment which Bogart is fantastic in the moment. This as we see finally the man give into all his weakness and desperation. A man in his physical manner as he's closed in, almost infant like, as man more than anything isolate in the moment, and just simply scared aboard his ship which never gave him a hint of support. This eventually leads to the court martial scene where Bogart is actually quite outstanding in scene that would be quite influential down the road, where he is cross examined in order to reveal what really happened aboard the ship. Bogart is masterful in this scene in crafting really the entirety of his performance in a singular amazing scene built upon his acting. This as Bogart begins as the responsible officer giving clear and concise answers. When his mania is brought up regarding the theft ring though, the first crack appears.
Bogart's physical manner becomes tighter and more erratic, and then speech instantly falls to begin to reveal some degree of that desperation, though Bogart shows Queeg just holding it together to revert to a calmer though still trouble presence. When Bogart shows Queeg desperately holding onto his line, and the defense speaks towards a testimony that would undermine him, Bogart's reaction is perfection as it's a quick glance of immediate anxiety, followed by a calming attempt to really look elsewhere from his problem and defer from thinking about it. When pressed though we get the one shot of genius of Bogart as he goes into his rant that is filled with such desperate paranoia and attempt at trying to fixate on some place of control. Bogart speaks so potently as a man filled with every anxiety in his mind and just trying to find some place to find control, in this instance his crazed conspiracy theory. What makes this so stunning though is the moment where Bogart naturally has this moment of Queeg finally reflecting for a moment and just shows the quietly sad man behind it all now realizing he sounds like a crazy man. What makes this so outstanding as while there is catharsis in Queeg revealing his mistake, there is genuine heartbreak in that moment as Bogart reveals just a broken man, who was not entirely broken by his own design. Bogart is great here succeeding in crafting a character who is easy to dislike yet within it all, he shows that Queeg by the end isn't some Bligh like villain, but in the end a victim of a far crueler mind than his.
2 comments:
Never saw this one, mostly because I avoid Bogart.
I have nothing against Bogart.
Post a Comment