In my opinion, this made for TV version about the naval court martial proceedings from Herman Wouk's novel is a classic gem in itself.
This screenplay delves much deeper into the psychological and oranizational issues surrounding the relieving of the captain of the USS Caine by his junior officers than does the 1954 movie. There is much more substance relating to the pressures and conflicts between a leader in time of war and those that must serve under him.
And the performance of the actors is also much superior to those in the theatrical movie. The latter, although a "star studded cast", were probably hampered by the sterotypical expectations of the immediate post war era. This newer crew does an excellent job of quickly filling out their character's persona with very little "on screen" time to acomplish such a feat. The starring actors, Eric Bogosian as defense attorney Greenwald and Brad Davis as Lieutenant Commander Queeg, are simply outstanding. But it is the performances by the supporting cast that turn this version of the broadway play into a true jewel of naval story telling: Jeff Daniels as Steve Maryk the accused, Peter Gallagher as the prosecuting attorney, and Michael Murphy as the Captain Presiding Officer of the Court are all extremely believable. Even the character of Captain Southard, called in as an expert at destroyer seamanship, comes over as a very strong personality. And last but not least, Ken Michels, in the cameo role of Dr. Bird, the psychiatry witness, accomplishes a classic, detestable portrayal.
And believe it or not, the climatic scene where Queeg goes paranoid on the witness stand is even more dramatic than either the book version or the subsequent 1954 motion picture.
The final scenes at the celebration party are fast and furious, so the viewer has to remain alert to pick up all the nuances of the dialog. It is kinda heavy on the holocaust theme, but Greenwald's profound statements on professional warriors and the pressures of command are the essence of Wouk's story.
All in all, this is a classic "jewel" that has not gotten the credit it truely deserves ...