The Bounty

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson, Wi Kuki Kaa, Bernard Hill
Directed by: Roger Donaldson
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure
1984

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: On board the Bounty, Lieutenant William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) runs a disciplined ship. When they land in a tropical paradise, some of the men don't want to leave. When Bligh becomes even more strict, Master's Mate Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) decides to lead a mutiny.

Review:

Tim: The Bounty tells the familiar story of the famous mutiny and the clash between Captain William Bligh and Fletcher Christian. This story has been told in film before. The 1935 version featured Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh and Clark Gable as Fletcher Christian. That movie was nominated for 8 Academy Awards, and won one- the Academy Award for Best Picture. There was also a 1962 version, featuring Trevor Howard as Bligh and Marlon Brando as Christian. It didn't win any Academy Awards, but it did receive 7 nominations (including a nom for Best Picture). This film dropped the "Mutiny on" from the title, and received a grand total of 0 nominations. Interestingly, this is probably the most accurate film about the real-life event.

This is a good movie, although at 132 minutes, is a bit long. It could have been cut down some. Still, it tells the story in a very interesting light, some of which is very different from previous movies. In the 1935 version, Captain Bligh is depicted as a brutal tyrant. That is probably not historically accurate. This film is much more believable- yes, he was a stern disciplinarian, and may have occasionally been too harsh, but was in fact at least a decent captain- he was not a monster. I appreciated that focus on trying to get the events historically accurate.

The cast is pretty impressive- Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson, and Laurence Olivier. That is actually quite remarkable. Hopkins is very good as Bligh- he definitely has a harsh streak in him, but Hopkins plays him as a real man- complex and complicated- not as a one-dimensional tyrant. Mel Gibson is pretty good as Fletcher Christian. While I might have liked Gable in the role better, Gibson is a talented actor, and plays the part well. Day-Lewis and Neeson both have smaller roles, but it is very enjoyable seeing them throughout the film. They added a good deal to it. Olivier has a very small role, and I actually forgot he was in this movie until the end. Still, this movie features five incredibly talented actors, and that's one of its greatest strengths.

The cinematography for this movie was pretty incredible. We have some beautiful shots of the Bounty set against the open sea or the setting sun. The island of Tahiti looks lush and exotic. I was very impressed with how this movie looked visually. Even the ship itself is quite a sight to see. It added a good deal to the film.

While the movie mostly does a good job of holding our attention, there were a few moments when I did find it hard to pay attention. The movie spends a considerable amount of time on the island itself. This is important because it helps you to understand why there was a mutiny in the first place (and it is more complicated than simply because the crew hated Bligh). We need time on the island, but I thought there was too much time spent here. These scenes are less effective than watching the men on the open seas, and they slow the movie down. I also thought the actual mutiny scenes could have been more effective. The decision must have been a very difficult one, but too little of that is shown.

This is definitely a good movie, but I thought it needed more of an emotional punch. It's interesting to watch, but it never really hits you on any kind of emotional level. It is historically accurate, but not always completely entertaining. I did enjoy this movie, but I still wanted more. For a movie telling the same story for the third time (and when the previous two films were so critically acclaimed), I felt like this one needed more to it. Still, this is a good movie.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Mutiny on the Bounty, The Caine Mutiny