“The Caine Mutiny-Court docket Martial,” the play based mostly on the 1951 ebook by U.S. Navy veteran Herman Wouk, has been produced and reproduced many occasions because it first debuted in 1953. Probably the most well-known model is perhaps the 1954 Humphrey Bogart movie “The Caine Mutiny,” however forged members by the ages have included Henry Fonda, Charlton Heston, Jeff Daniels, David Schwimmer and even former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath.
The newest model of the navy courtroom drama will premiere on Showtime and Paramount+ beginning in October with a forged that features Keifer Sutherland (“24”), Lance Reddick (“John Wick”) and Jason Clarke (“Zero Darkish Thirty”). Eagle-eyed viewers may also spot navy film legend Capt. Dale Dye (“Saving Non-public Ryan,” “Platoon”) on the court-martial board.
The unique “Caine Mutiny” happened aboard a World Warfare II minesweeper, and writer Wouk drew from his private expertise aboard such ships, the usZane and USS Southard, within the Pacific Theater (though Wouk by no means really skilled a mutiny throughout his service).
The story behind the court-martial is easy. Unpopular however disciplined Lt. Cmdr. Philip Queeg (Sutherland) takes over as skipper of the usCaine, however begins to behave irrationally because the vessel goes about its mission. When crusing by a hurricane, the ship begins to founder and should reverse course or sink.
Government Officer Lt. Steve Maryk (Jake Lacy, “The Workplace”) believes Queeg scared and frozen, and when the skipper refuses to reverse course, Maryk relieves Queeg of command and orders the ship out of the storm and again to San Francisco, the place he and Ens. Willis Keith (Tom Riley, “Angie Tribeca”) are court-martialed for mutiny. The setting of the movie is the courtroom.
By no means within the historical past of the U.S. Navy has a proper mutiny ever taken place aboard an American ship at sea. Officers aboard the usSomers got here shut in 1842 with the intent to develop into pirates, however the conspirators have been caught and hanged earlier than they might act on their plan.
Showtime’s newest “The Caine Mutiny Court docket-Martial” lays out what the aftermath of the aid of an officer may appear like in at present’s Navy. Whereas the Navy can nonetheless boast that it by no means suffered a mutiny at sea, the courtroom drama comes at a time when the ocean service has relieved quite a few high-profile commanding officers as a result of a “lack of confidence” of their skill to command. There have been a minimum of six such firings this yr, the most recent in September, and greater than a dozen in 2022.
Two key gamers within the movie handed away earlier than its premiere. Director William Friedkin (“The Exorcist”) died in August 2023, and actor Lance Reddick, who performs presiding officer Capt. Luther Blakely, died in March.
There’s one thing on this newest model of the movie for everybody, from followers nostalgic for the times of “JAG” to followers of the Humphrey Bogart basic, in addition to anybody who likes to see Navy officers lastly get what’s coming to them.
“The Caine Mutiny Court docket-Martial” begins streaming Oct. 6, 2023, on Showtime and Paramount+.
— Blake Stilwell will be reached at blake.stilwell@navy.com. He will also be discovered on Fb, Twitter, or on LinkedIn.
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