The Caine Mutiny

Ensign Willis Keith reports aboard the minesweeper USS Caine, beginning his tour of duty. He quickly meets the ship's executive officer Stephen Maryk and the ambitious communications officer Thomas Keefer, forming the core of the crew's early dynamics. The trio's different ambitions and personalities set the tone for his initial experiences aboard.

Lieutenant Commander Philip Queeg is assigned as captain of the Caine. He imposes strict discipline that unsettles the crew, though Keith admires his dedication. The crew debates the effectiveness of his methods, foreshadowing tensions to come.

During a gunnery target towing exercise, Queeg's tirade distracts Keith and Keefer, causing the ship to steer off course and snap the towline. The target goes adrift, exposing a fault in leadership that Queeg attempts to bury. The incident seeds doubt about Queeg's control under stress.

The Caine is assigned to escort landing craft for an invasion of a small Pacific island, but Queeg abandons the mission before the departure point. He orders the dropping of a yellow dye marker, leaving the landing craft to fend for themselves. The act earns the crew's derisive nickname 'Old Yellowstain' and deepens questions about his resolve.

Keefer believes Queeg may be paranoid, prompting Maryk to consider relief under Article 184. Maryk argues against immediate relief but begins a medical log documenting Queeg's increasingly erratic behavior. The seeds of a mutiny begin to sprout as doubts about the captain's fitness grow.

Queeg orders an elaborate strawberry investigation, prompting searches that sweep the crew into suspicion. Keefer and Maryk consider appealing to Admiral Halsey for relief but back down when they reach his flagship. The episode exposes the fragility of command and loyalty on board.

In the face of a brutal typhoon, Maryk urges a turn into the wind and ballast, but Queeg refuses and effectively freezes on the bridge. Maryk, supported by Keith, relieves Queeg of command under Article 184. The Caine struggles through the storm as command changes hands.

The Caine returns to San Francisco and Maryk and Keith face a court-martial for mutiny. Lieutenant Barney Greenwald, a temporarily grounded naval aviator and skilled attorney, takes on their defense. Keefer testifies that he observed no mental illness in Queeg, but the case hinges on Queeg's on-stand behavior.

On the stand, Queeg reveals his habit of rolling two steel balls, a stark visual of his perceived instability. Greenwald's cross-examination casts serious doubt on the captain's competence, and Maryk is ultimately acquitted. Keefer is left stunned by the verdict and the implications for justice on the ship.

After the acquittal, the officers host a party where Keefer's reception is chilly. Greenwald arrives drunk and scathingly rebukes the group for their treatment of Queeg, arguing Keefer was the real author of the mutiny. He hurls champagne at Keefer, and the other officers walk out in discord.

Keith is now married to May Wynn, marking a personal milestone amid the ongoing naval turmoil. The union brings a bit of stability to his life as the Navy moves forward. The moment underscores his transition from student of the ship to a man with a life outside service.

Keith is promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) and assigned to a new Sumner-class destroyer commanded by De Vriess, his first captain after the Caine. The assignment marks the end of his time aboard the Caine and the start of a new chapter in his naval career. The film closes with him moving on to continue service.