MovieChat Forums > The Caine Mutiny (1954) Discussion > Okay, I'm totally unfamiliar with Navy p...

Okay, I'm totally unfamiliar with Navy procedures.

posted 13 years ago by doowop14
7 replies | jump to latest

I'm totally in the dark about the Old Yellows Stain incident. While I get that he left the attack boats on their own to storm the beach without cover that was supposed to be provided by the Caine, I don't understand the whole thing about the dye marker. What does throwing the dye marker accomplish? Why is the throwing of the marker something that they harped on? Okay, he panicked and ran under fire. Even before that, he stayed on the wing of the ship while giving the "Con" to the most junior officer in what appeared to be his first combat. I get all that. He acted imprudently and cowardly. But what's the deal with the dye marker and why is that a big deal?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer this for me.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] TorontoJediMaster 13 years ago

It was to mark the line of departure. The book explains that the Caine was to escort the Marines to one thousand yards of the beach. (Meaning, the spot where they officially begin the attack.) Distance were hard to judge over water from low-lying boats, so they were relying on the Caine to do the navigation.

Queeg had raced ahead and then dropped the dye marker at the spot.

I suspect that the Caine was also expected to use her guns against any targets of opportunity on the beach to assist the Marines.

It pretty much destroyed any respect Queeg still had amongst the officers. As Harding said to Willie the night after the incident, he doesn't mind having a Captain who nags about small details in paperwork or has a hang-up about stuff like shirtails. He realizes that you're likely to find strict eccentrics in the Navy. However, he DOES expect the Captain to have a stomach to fight and be capable of handling the ship in an emergency. The officers were never upset by Queeg's strictness. It was his perceived cowardnice and inability to handle dangerous situations.

[–] BullSchmidt 13 years ago

The Yellowstain metaphor has another meaning too. Now, I don't know if Wouk intended it this way in the novel -- I suspect that he did, but given his prose style, he couldn't have done more than drop some vague hints without disrupting the flow of the narrative. But there are times that a picture (or a movie shot) is worth a thousand words, and this is one of them.

Imagine a group of men running toward another gang, about to fight. There's no doubt about what's going to happen when those two groups meet -- fists, kicks, and even worse. One of the running men is somewhat out in front of the others, leading the charge. Then, just before the runnning group reaches the other gang, the lead guy turns and runs off, abandoning the others to fend for themselves ... and he's so overcome by fear that he actually loses control of his bladder and leaves a puddle of urine in his wake.

There's a shot in the movie, just after the sailors toss the dye marker -- a long shot of the Caine leading the landing craft. Suddenly the Caine turns and runs, leaving yellow fluid spreading behind it. It's as if the Caine itself is a living, thinking thing, and it's chickened out, done a bladder dump, and run away. Considering the nature of naval command (not much of an exaggeration to say that the captain is the ship, and the ship is the captain), it's pretty clear what's being implied about Queeg.

I originally read the book before seeing the movie, and didn't infer that meaning at all ... but the first time I watched the movie and saw that scene, my reaction was "oh, now I get it."

[–] sstarl1324 12 years ago

During the entire run into the beach Queeg is not on the bridge. He is cowering behind the superstructure. It gives the impression of fear or cowardice.

Remember Rabbit Ears with tin foil?

[–] gsfsu 10 years ago

Yellow dye is used because it is the most visible in sea water. Nothing to do with urine.

[–] kducklin2 11 years ago

Also, by everyone else's calculation the ship is 1500 yards out, not 1000, so Queeg has left the marines with 500 yards more sea to cover.

"Duck, I says..."

[–] TorontoJediMaster 11 years ago

Actually, 1500 more sea yards to cover. Maryk says that they have another 1500 yards to go with the attack boats. Queeg disagrees and declares they're within a thousand yards of the beach right now and orders the helm over.