THE CAINE MUTINY COURT-MARTIAL
Directed by William Friedkin
2023 | 109 min | United States | UNCL 15+
When William Friedkin sadly passed away in 2023, American cinema lost a true auteur, and one of its greatest iconoclasts. Thankfully the master director of classics like THE FRENCH CONNECTION, THE EXORCIST, SORCERER and CRUISING left us with one final cinematic jewel.
Something of a companion piece to his 1997 telemovie adaptation of the heralded play 12 ANGRY MEN, Friedkin takes the oft-visited Herman Wouk play THE CAINE MUTINY COURT MARTIAL (previously filmed by Edward Dmytryk and Robert Altman) and turns it into both a directorial masterclass and an extraordinary performance piece.
Delivering a career-best turn, Kiefer Sutherland is all jittery menace as Lieutenant Commander Queeg of the USS Caine, who is relieved of his command when his men believe him unsuited to lead during a horrific storm. The resultant court case sees sceptical lawyer Greenwald (Jason Clarke) defending Officer Maryk (Jake Lacey) on charges of mutiny, with the testimony of the paranoiac, duplicitous Queeg the vital key to proceedings.
A fascinating treatise on power and responsibility, THE CAINE MUTINY COURT MARTIAL is a stunning capstone work from a movie master.
“…a deceptively brilliant piece of work, a reminder of the refined, undeniable abilities of its creator.” –– Brian Tallerico | ROGER EBERT
