Through films like French Connection and The Exorcist, William Friedkin became known as a director and became a legend in Hollywood. With The 12 Jurors he already had one in the 90s Court drama successfully remade. After he died of heart failure and pneumonia last year, his final work became The Caine Mutiny in Court published posthumously.
The Caine Mutiny in Court can be seen in Germany on the Paramount+ streaming service.
The Caine Mutiny in Court: That’s what William Friedkin’s last film is about
That’s what it’s about:
Marine officer Lieutenant Stephen Maryk (The White Lotus star Jake Lacy) is charged with mutiny. He must answer for this before a US Navy military court. During the mutiny, Maryk stripped the captain, Lieutenant Commander Phillip Queeg (Kiefer Sutherland), of command. The reason for this is said to have been signs of mental instability on the part of the captain.
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You know Jake Lacy from The Office and The White Lotus
The courtroom thriller has already been filmed twice and is based on the novel The Caine was her destiny by Herman Wouk. In the original as in the first adaptations, the action takes place during the Second World War. The entire military career of Willis Keith (Tom Riley) is described, including the mutiny. The court hearing is just one aspect of the overall story. In Friedkin’s version the plot was moved to the modern era and only shows the court proceedingswhile the mutiny is only talked about.
The Caine mutiny in court is the “perfect farewell” to William Friedkin
William Friedkin was part of the New Hollywood of the 1970s. During this time, traditional Hollywood cinema was modernized. This era is still considered one of the most artistically important phases of American film. Together with directors such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, Friedkin created films that are now considered classics.
Friedkin’s French Connection – Focus on Brooklyn was one of the groundbreaking films of the New Hollywood. His police drama is now considered a prototype for the genre. He was able to surpass his success with The Exorcist two years later. The horror film was not only commercially successful, but also controversial. He was able to complete his last film, The Caine Mutiny in Court, before his death, but died before its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
The Caine mutiny in court is a real one more than a successful farewell a great director. This is also reflected in the rating on Metacritic, where the film gets an average review score of 71. David Fear writes for Rolling Stone that it is “perfect farewell” be:
He knows when to leave something alone and let Sutherland take the wheel. He knows great acting when he sees it.
At Slash Film you can read from Chris Evangelista that Friedkin has one “stunning final film” left behind.
If you’re looking for a tense, intimate thriller, you shouldn’t miss The Caine Mutiny in Court on Paramount+.
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