When reporter Sidney Poitier is assigned to a submarine to conduct a routine inspection, he ends up staying aboard for much longer than he planned. He gets to know the amiable crew, including Martin Balsam, Wally Cox, James MacArthur, and Eric Portman, but it's Captain Richard Widmark who proves to be a problem. He's a ruthless captain who isn't at all friendly to their visitor, and he's obsessed with destroying a Russian submarine!
If you don't like Cold War thrillers, you're going to want to rent a different film for this weekend. Yes, there are some arguments that are more ship-related than Russian-related, but they're not nearly as intense as The Caine Mutiny. And while the best scenes involve Martin Balsam, he's not the first or second lead, so he doesn't make up for a rather mediocre thriller. There are lots of other movies where you can see Richard Widmark playing an unstoppable bad guy, or Sidney Poitier playing a noble good guy. And if you grew up during the Cold War and love those movies—because I haven't met anyone who likes them for any other reason—you're better off watching The Fifth Missile. It has a better story and infinitely more tension.
If you don't like Cold War thrillers, you're going to want to rent a different film for this weekend. Yes, there are some arguments that are more ship-related than Russian-related, but they're not nearly as intense as The Caine Mutiny. And while the best scenes involve Martin Balsam, he's not the first or second lead, so he doesn't make up for a rather mediocre thriller. There are lots of other movies where you can see Richard Widmark playing an unstoppable bad guy, or Sidney Poitier playing a noble good guy. And if you grew up during the Cold War and love those movies—because I haven't met anyone who likes them for any other reason—you're better off watching The Fifth Missile. It has a better story and infinitely more tension.