I
recently watched The Caine Mutiny and I was very impressed. The
acting is top notch, the plot intense and the cast is excellent,
which brings me to the true reason I watched the film- Humphrey
Bogart.
Old
Bogie is definitely one of my favorite actors. He always turned in a
convincing performance in a number of versatile roles. The
introverted tough guy made me feel for him and empathize every time
out. In this film, I knew he would be playing the role of the hell
which he did so well in The Roaring Twenties and my personal
favorite, Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
However,
this role required a bit more than just being a villain. It required
something deeper below the surface which Bogie did so well. He made
you understand why he did what he did, with his performance. The
real understanding was spelled out for us by Jose Ferrer in the last
scene.
While
Bogart did act the brute and showed all the signs of paranoia and
serious authoritarian complex, he did so for a reason. His men
doubted him.
Sure,
he made some mistakes, but when he asked the men if they had anything
to say to him about his behavior or how he was running the ship and
asked genuinely if they could help him, they sat silent.
Wow.
The
film took an entirely different direction, showing that those who
choose to sit by and watch the ship go down are indeed guiltier than
the one bringing it down. Bogart played the part masterfully,
rolling the balls back and forth and each little movement displayed
the outward appearance of a man in inner turmoil.
If
you have not seen this movie, you may feel I have ruined it for you,
but trust me. Like any great film, the true weight of the picture is
not in what happens, but why it happens. You will be thinking about
this one for weeks after seeing it. This was one film that truly
held a high purpose and great lesson. Never leave your captain
hanging out to dry, no matter how nasty he is.
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