MovieChat Forums > The Caine Mutiny (1954) Discussion > The score is lousy

The score is lousy

posted 15 years ago by Eli_Zardo
14 replies | jump to latest

Next to the superfluous and dull romance subplot the music is the films main detriment.

It's cartoonish, incessant and generally overstates every aspect.

It's also mixed too loud.

[–] mark-1589 14 years ago

It is pretty good movie music, but was not appropriate to this film at all. Although it is a film about an incident in the navy in wartime, it is really not a war movie, so including martial music that is bombastic and triumphalist simply did not fit.

[–] vinidici 14 years ago

Seriously, when has any Naval flick ever been made prior to the 1960's that didn't have "Anchors Aweigh" or other naval tunes in the soundtrack?

[–] mark-1589 13 years ago

Whether it was common or not does not make it the right music for the film.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] marckymarc71 12 years ago

Try watching John Ford's THEY WERE EXPENDABLE. Herbert Stothart's score was a perfect example of using Naval music brilliantly combined with traditional thematic music.

I have to agree with the opinion that the score of Caine almost ruins the film for me--it's over the top, excruciatingly repetitive, cliched and almost "forced" into scenes that would have been better served with something more moody. The "Score" seemed out of place in many scenes--scenes that seemed there for no other reason than to have cliched visuals for the "Rowsing Naval Theme".

Again I always go back to guys like Ford for the benchmark of how to use music in film. Many, if not most 1950s westerns had horribly cliched "Western" scores, but just watch THE SEARCHERS to hear how beautiful a Western can be.

[–] WardenGordonBorden 13 years ago

Completely agree with the music being too loud, bombastic and 'Naval'. And just as bad were the intimate 'romantic' scenes which were totally 50's string-heavy, annoying crap.

Hi, Bob.

[–] vinidici 13 years ago

Ah, well, those "romance angles" are there to reel in the female demographic to what would otherwise probably be deemed as "a man's picture."

[–] aasoloway 11 years ago

I'm a woman and I think the romance angle is corny.

If you want to appeal to the female demographic have hotter guys and more shirtless sailors.

[–] lynda618 13 years ago

I re-watched this movie last night and had the same reaction. In fact, the music made me think of a boorish person who keeps interrupting other peoples' conversations.

[–] joestone99uk 13 years ago

Lol, good one lynda618 - I never thought of it that like, but you're right!

[–] TheManInOil 13 years ago

Please. It's a Max Steiner score. His style established Hollywood norms for decades. If you don't enjoy it, fine, but don't try to tell the rest of us it isn't good.

"I'll book you. I'll book you on something. I'll find something in the book to book you on."

[–] MissMcCrocodile 13 years ago

What a tough crowd!
I actually liked the music.

Yes, sir, I'm going to do nothing like she's never been done before!

[–] laxlon 11 years ago

I love this film score, lots of energy, good orchestrations, memorable themes. Max Steiner at his best.

[–] ryanryanmd 11 years ago

Thank you for mentioning this. The score is a headache in many spots especially in the first 25 minutes or so. That combined with the stupid romance subplot nearly ruined the movie for me.