The Bounty

Plot synopsis:
London, 1790. Lieutenant William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) arrives in court, facing charges that his ship, The HMS Bounty, was taken by mutiny. Admiral Hood (Laurence Olivier) and Captain Greetham (Edward Fox) ask him to tell the court his story.Bligh recounts his story. In December 1787, he recruits Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) to bring breadfruit from Tahiti to Jamaica (and also to circumnavigate the world). John Fryer (Daniel-Day Lewis) is Master of the Ship, so Fletcher would serve as Master's Mate. The ship's bosun is William Cole (Bernard Hill).The Bounty sails from Spithead, England on December 23rd and over dinner in the crew area, seamen Charles Churchill (Liam Neeson) and Matthew Quintal (Neil Morrissey) fight, while Bligh and Fryer eat with Nelson (Simon Chandler) and Doc Huggan (Malcolm Terris). Thomas Heywood (Simon Adams) goes to investigate, but the crew covers the fracas with loud music.As the ship crosses the equator, the crew hazes Heywood while Bligh watches. Bligh shows a mean streak for even the slightest transgression, and seems to enjoy putting the crew through extra efforts.Rounding Cape Horn, the ship is buffeted by strong weather and waves. Fryer argues with Bligh over whether they should turn back; Bligh disagrees, and even though they have to take an alternate route, Bligh expresses his doubts about Fryer in the ship's log. He announces to the crew that Fryer is being replaced by Christian; Fryer is upset.The Bounty arrives in Tahiti on October 26, 1788 after ten months at sea. Bligh barters with King Tynah (Wi Kuki Kaa) for breadfruit. During the time spent waiting for breadfruit to grow, Fletcher falls in love with a native girl, Mauatua (Tevaite Vernette) the daughter of King Tynah, eventually impregnating her. Upset by this turn of events, Bligh seeks to disrupt the relationship. Romanced by the beautiful scenery of Tahiti, Churchill and some of the crew desert the ship, and Heyward is lashed for not reporting it. Bligh tells the crew that shore leave is cancelled. Fletcher refuses to enforce Bligh's discipline.The deserters return to the island, and Doc Huggan is found dead. The deserters are flogged as Fletcher bids farewell to Mauatua. Shortly after, the Bounty sets sail for Jamaica on April 4, 1789. Bligh tries to reconcile with Fletcher, but he is withdrawn. Bligh continues to be harsh on the crew, especially towards Fletcher and his watch. Bligh announces that they will return around Cape Horn to sail to Jamaica. Disagreements lead Fletcher and the crew to plot a mutiny.On the evening of April 28, Fletcher and his group take over the ship in a relatively bloodless battle. Of the 42-man crew, 18 join Fletcher in the mutiny, two remain neutral, and 22 side with Bligh. Fletcher and the mutineers order Bligh, two midshipmen, the surgeon's mate (Ledward), and the ship's clerk and 14 others into one of the ship's lifeboats and they are cast adrift, and Fletcher sails the Bounty back to Tahiti.Upon arrival back in Tahiti, Fletcher is unable to barter with King Tynah, but Mauatua elects to leave with him, so Tynah gives some of his men to help sail the ship. Heyworth stays in Tahiti, as does Churchill. The Bounty leaves Tahiti in September 1789 to sail for an unchartered island for them to settle on and to avoid the Royal Navy.Meanwhile, Bligh and his men sail the open boat 30 nautical miles to Tofua in search of supplies, but are soon forced to flee after attacks by hostile natives result in the death of one of his men, and they are forced to leave without provisions. Bligh decides to skirt other islands like Fiji and head to Timor. Bligh's men are forced to ration food and water, but he maintains order. After a 47-day, 3,000 mile journey in the open rowboat, Bligh and his men reach the Dutch port of Coupang, Timor in Dutch Indonesia... exhausted and barely alive. Bligh reports the mutiny.Fletcher and The Bounty do not fare as well. They have little luck finding a paradise island for them to hide out on, and the men do not respect him. Fletcher decides to try and find Pitcairn Island, mentioned in logs but not specified. On January 15, 1790 they discover Pitcairn Island, which had been misplaced on the Royal Navy's charts. After the decision is made to settle on Pitcairn, livestock and other provisions are removed from the Bounty. To prevent the ship's detection, and anyone's possible escape, Fletcher orders the ship to be burned. The date is January 23, 1790.Back in England, Bligh is exonerated by the court for having anything to do with the cause of the muntiny.Back on Pitcairn, Fletcher and the mutineers watch the Bounty burn in the shallow bay of the island.The disclaimer during the end credits states that 35 years later, only John Adams and his new English-Tahitian mixed race family was found on Pitcairn Island by a passing British warship. The descendents of the HMS Bounty mutaineers continue to live on Pitcairn Island. The fate of Fletcher Christian remains unknown but it is believed that he was killed somtime in 1793 during a civil conflict on Pitcairn Island along with most of the other muntineers with the exception of Adams.

Tags: violence, action, cruelty, flashback

Review:
The acting (particularly by Hopkins) is superb, and the cinematography and realism are stunning.Unlike some of the previous comments for this film I think it is pretty loyal to the true historical facts of the real mutiny.
An able commander trying to carry out his orders, but let down by those around him.The confrontation between Bligh and Christian in the captain's cabin the day before the mutiny is one of my favourite movie scenes of all time.
I have seen this film many time over the years and i never get bored of watching Sir Anthony Hopkins give a riveting performance in this classic story of life aboard The Bounty and the events that lead to mutiny.
Mel Gibson plays Fletcher Christian who must watch helplessly as his captain(Hopkins) demoralizes his men and drives them ever closer to the brink of mutiny.
The Aussies took another shot at filming the Bounty mutiny in 1933, providing a young Errol Flynn (as Fletcher Christian) with his first movie role.
These earlier movies were based on the books by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall that portrayed the Bounty's commander, William Bligh, as a brutal disciplinarian and the second in command, Fletcher Christian, as a hero.
And those characters are brought to life by an amazingly strong cast - Anthony Hopkins (an Oscar for Silence of the Lambs) as William Bligh, Mel Gibson (an Oscar for directing Braveheart) as Fletcher Christian, Daniel Day-Lewis (an Oscar for My Left Foot) as John Fryer, and Liam Neeson (nominated for an Oscar for Schindler's List) as Churchill.
He seems to work a little too hard at being the tormented soul during the mutiny but it's a good overall performance and does not detract from the story.The Bounty does an especially fine job of showing the Tahitians as real people.
Just look at the list, Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Bernard Hill, Daniel Day Lewis, Liam Neeson, Laurence Oliver and even a young Neil Morrissey who puts in a good performance.
For one we have Anthony Hopkins as a caring but ruthless Captain Bligh who is hell bent on his ship sailing around Cape Town or something like that and the shipmen believe that doing it once was bad enough but doing it twice is suicide and that is where the film really kicks off but there are moments of tension between Bligh and Fletcher played by Mel Gibson and that's what makes this film all the more special than its predecessors.
If this film was made today with the same cast then it would not have had the same effect because it would have tried to win over it's audience with it's cast but the likes of Day Lewis, Liam Neeson and Mel Gibson were still unknowns in most countries and it was like an older version of the rat pack as they were the fresh faces coming up in the movies in 80's Hollywood especially for Gibson who just made action in the 80's apart from The Bounty and Gallipoli.
That would also unfortunately include Bligh's second mate Fletcher Christian, played in this version by Mel Gibson.It wasn't Bligh's fault they lingered in Tahiti, the plants had to be mature enough to stand the voyage to Great Britain.
That didn't help his historical reputation a bit.Among the crew of the Bounty you will find Daniel Day-Lewis as John Fryer who Bligh replaced mid voyage with Fletcher Christian and Liam Neeson as one of the mutineers.
Laurence Olivier plays Admiral Hood who led the court of inquiry that cleared Bligh of blame for the mutiny.Still Hopkins and Gibson dominate the film with their skills and talents.
It's much better than 'Mutiny on the Bounty (1962' version by Lewis Milestone with Marlon Brando , Trevor Howard, and Hugh Griffith but inferior to classic 'Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)' by Frank LLoyd with Clark Gable , Charles Laughton and Franchot Tone .The real deeds are the following : In 1787, Captain Bligh was chose to command HMS Bounty on a voyage to Tahiti, where he was to collect breadfruit trees with the object of introducing them to the Caribbean.
Continuing my plan to watch every movie in Mel Gibson's filmography in order, I come to The Bounty (1984)Plot In A Paragraph: A more accurate re telling of the famous mutiny on the bounty featuring Fletcher Christian (Gibson) and Captain William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins)Gibson is OK here, if a little bland at times.
However, I enjoyed this exotic adaptation with its stellar cast.This is the old classic sea fable in which the Bounty's first mate Fletcher Christian leads a mutiny against Captain Bligh because of his cruel behavior and unwise, possibly suicidal decision to sail the ship again around Cape Horn.
The film chronicles the events leading up to the rebellion, the actual mutiny, and the subsequent fate of both sides, as Christian seeks to avoid British naval repercussions and Bligh attempts to ensure the survival of his remaining loyal men to East Timor in their little lifeboat.The movie has a star studded cast, including Lawrence Olivier as Admiral Hood, though I don't recall much of his role here...it's been awhile.
Mel Gibson is a sincere and passionate Fletcher Christian, but Anthony Hopkins is especially brilliant at turning Captain Bligh into a real three dimensional character.
His 3,500+ mile voyage in a small open boat with his loyal crew members has never been bettered.After the slander of the two previous films in the 30's and 60's, this film gives a far more accurate and sympathetic portrayal of Bligh, and Anthony Hopkins is excellent as always..
Furthermore, the depictions of Bligh and Fletcher Christian seem quite balanced.Great performances in the lead roles by Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins.
It includes the mutiny, the voyage of survival by Bligh and his faithful crew members, and the fate of Fletcher Christian and the rest of the mutineersSo, for its historical rendering, "The Bounty" excels.
While the original Academy Award Winner film of 1935 is a story about how tyrannical some men can be, and the first hour of the film of the film is pretty much Captain Bligh punishing his subordinates, the 1984 version is more light in this aspect and twists the story in a very different way."The Bounty" is told in flashbacks from the point of view of Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) telling how things were in the ship and how the mutiny situation took place.
Hopkins portrays Bligh as a friendlier commander who becomes more and more tyrannical after the Bounty gets to Tahiti and then his great friend Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) forms a group of rebel that takes over the boat.
I couldn't help but compare these two films and despite being a more accurate view of the real story I must say that the classic film was more appealing than this one, the adventure moments were fantastic, and the quality of the performances were impeccable while here only Anthony Hopkins display a great performance, the other members of the cast are good (Mel Gibson, Bernard Hill, Edward Fox), some of them are better in other projects (Daniel Day-Lewis, Laurence Olivier, Liam Neeson).Why you should see this movie?
The HMS Bounty, captained by the stern and disciplined Lt. William Bligh (Hopkins) leaves England for Tahiti, with Bligh's friend and newly appointed second-in-command Fletcher Christian (Gibson).
Mel Gibson makes an outstanding Fletcher Christian, and Anthony Hopkins is superb as Captain William Bligh.There's a lot of excellent performances in this film.
Anthony Hopkins portrays William Bligh who in real life was a subordinate of James Cook and later the master of the Bounty upon which the famous mutiny occurred.
Anthony Hopkins portrays William Bligh who in real life was a subordinate of James Cook and later the master of the Bounty upon which the famous mutiny occurred.
The film is filled with faces- Anthony Hopkins plays the Captain, a dashingly young Mel Gibson is Fletcher Christian- key conspirator and other faces such as a young Daniel Day Lewis and Liam Neeson as well as Laurence Olivier.
The film is filled with faces- Anthony Hopkins plays the Captain, a dashingly young Mel Gibson is Fletcher Christian- key conspirator and other faces such as a young Daniel Day Lewis and Liam Neeson as well as Laurence Olivier.
This takes a different slant on the usual take on the mutiny making Bligh, (an excellent Anthony Hopkins), if not exactly the hero, considerably less of a villain than he is usually painted while Christian, (Mel Gibson), is weak and dissolute with his own, selfish motives for rebelling.
Here, Mel Gibson & Anthony Hopkins play friends turned bitter enemies Fletcher Christian and Captain Bligh, who sail the Bounty on a trading mission to Tahiti, where most of the crew are seduced by this paradise of great weather, abundant food, water...and beautiful native women.
This movie is really great and this movie is the best movie i have seen in the last month and a half.The great actor Anthony Hopkins does a really great job at acting as Lieutenant William Bligh in this movie and this is one of his best movies he has ever been in.There are a lot of other great actors in this movie like Mel Gibson,Daniel Day-Lewis from the great movie Gangs Of New York,Bernard Hill and i was surprised to find Liam Neeson from the good movies DarkMan and BatMan Begins stars in this movie.Over all this movie is really great and if this movie is ever on t.v u should watch it.And my rating for this movie is 8 out of 10..
This 1984 version of Mutiny on the Bounty has an impressive cast featuring Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson and others.
Due to reasons that become clear throughout the course of the film, the episode has remained one of the most documented and talked about in maritime history and the movie does well to live up to legend.Most time is spent examining the relationship between Lieutenant William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) and Masters Mate Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) who had been friends for many years before setting sail, but whose friendship becomes tested after a clash of interests while harboured in Tahiti.
roger donaldson and Arthur Ibbetson truely captured the moment, Artur has always been a great photograhic genius, with credits like willy wonker, and Little Lord Fauntleroy  being child favorites of mine, and in need of great photographic angles , with the bounty he found that special moment with each scene...Mel Gibson after completing films like MAD MAX, Galipoli made his American film debut with this great movie, the New Zealand director has made a movie which will never be beat...If you are looking for a movie with a wonderful story great acting and breathtaking scenery with beautiful music, this is the movie for you.
Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson carry the main roles but look for outstanding work by future stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Liam Neeson (Day-Lewis would've been an outstanding choice to play Fletcher Christian).
His portrayal of Bligh is far closer to historical truth---Bligh actually punished his crew very little in comparison to other ship's captains of the time and he was able to get the Bounty to Tahiti after 27,000 miles of sailing having lost only a single man en route.
The story focuses on the tension that builds between Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) and Captain Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) - who start out as friends and become murderous enemies.
Gibson is also good as Fletcher Christian, showing him not as some kind of rebel party-animal who defied Bligh's authority, but as someone truly torn between serving his superior officer or doing what he feels is best for the rest of the crew.No one is 100% sure of all the details of this historical incident, but it's evident that those involved with the writing and production of this film did their research.
Of all the Bounty films perhaps this one reflects the most accurate description of what happened between these two friends, and later, rivals.Bligh in earlier films had always been seen as overly sadistic & vicious, but in this film he is not quite the dictator as previously seen, and perhaps in reality should have been deemed a misunderstood hero rather than a bullying cad.Hopkins gives a very powerful & rounded characterisation of the restless Bligh, a man where honour for his King & country prevails over all else, including the wellbeing of his men.Mel Gibson's Fletcher Christian is perhaps the weak link in the film.
It's a pity he didn't give Fox or Olivier enough to do, since their contribution is reduced to redundant cameos when one felt they could have offered a far more richer story given  more interesting characters.The late Arthur Ibbetson's cinematography should not be overlooked here either, for he really does do a good job with the camera and not just for framing the picturesque islands either.One final mention should also go to the wonderfully haunting soundtrack by Vangelis especially the main title which when played from CD with the lights dimmed you can visualise The Bounty coming into dock on some dusky Island full of natives & pretty maidens.Overall then a film that visually impresses and perhaps tells us more about the real Bligh than the earlier versions.
First off, The Bounty is historical film making at its finest, and many comments justly pay tribute to the cast and particularly to Anthony Hopkins for fleshing out the very human complexities of Lt. William Bligh.The Royal Navy's most infamous captain was not a monster, after all, but a somewhat ambitious officer sent on a very difficult mission with a small ship and no Royal Marines to maintain discipline.
Conversely, the real-life Fletcher Christian was a volatile man who may have acted upon impulse when leading the mutiny.Instead of the simplistic good-evil storyline of earlier Bounty films, 1984's version presents the meaty conflict between two complex men placed in extraordinary circumstances.
Hopkins is an excellent Captain Bligh and in my opinion Gibson is a better Fletcher Christian than Clark Gable.
Mel Gibson's acting is not at the same level as Clark Gable in 1935 version while Hopkins is as usual simply the best giving the real bad image of Captain Bligh.
It's almost as if the film takes you back in time to view the actual events.This version also gives the most balanced and positive portrayal of the infamous Captain Bligh, played by Anthony Hopkins to great effect.
There's no doubt that it pales in comparison with 1935's "Mutiny On The Bounty," and although I thought they both put on very good performances, when I think of Bligh and Christian I will still see Charles Laughton and Clark Gable rather than Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson.
This third major film version of "Mutiny On The Bounty" stars Mel Gibson as Fletcher Christian and Anthony Hopkins as Captain Bligh.
A hundred years later, their population would be reduced by 80% by the white man's diseases, it was a French colony, Christian missionaries has done their work, and it was like any other port-of-call in the Pacific.To get back to the film itself: Anthony Hopkins is good as Bligh; he's a talented actor.
Movie lovers know Captain Bligh as evil incarnate, so cruel and horrible that his crew, led by Fletcher Christian, mutinied - but the story is more complex than that.The film begins in London, 1790 with Lieutenant William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) in court, before Admiral Hood (Laurence Olivier) and Captain Greetham (Edward Fox) to explain why his ship, the HMS Bounty, was taken from him by mutiny.
The story unfolds, with Bligh recounting how he brought his good friend, Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) along as Master Mate on the voyage to secure breadfruit from Tahiti.
Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins,Liam Neeson and Daniel Day-Lewis all in a film together has the makings of an epic...
The story follows Lieutenant William Bligh --played by Anthony Hopkins -- who commands a British ship to the island of Tahiti, seeking to trade goods.
Tension begins to boil furiously between Bligh and Christian all the way to the film's climax, when Christian leads the men to an act of mutiny, when they take over the ship...The Bounty leads an all star cast on an adventure across the sea, well worth witnessing.
Long, moody, self conscious film based on the actual historical event of the allegedly brutal sea captain Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) being over thrown by friend and first Mate Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) and the crew.
However, one cannot ignore the magnitude of the actors that are in this film: Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson, Daniel Day-Lewis, and the great Laurence Olivier.
They became enemies in Paradise." This is the third film version of the book by Richard Hough about the true story of the HMS The Bounty, which was the scene of a large mutiny by it's crew against the harsh discipline conducted by their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh.
This version from Australian director Roger Donaldson, stars Anthony Hopkins in the lead role as Bligh, and Mel Gibson, back in the day when he was virtually unknown, with the only major films under his belt being "Mad Max" and "Gallipoli", as Fletcher Christian, the man who leads the mutiny.
While at sea, the crew finally snap, and take over the ship, sending Bligh and the other officers adrift in the life boat, while they set sail back to Tahiti..."The Bounty" is a superb film with an outstanding performance from the brilliant Anthony Hopkins ("The Elephant Man", "A Bridge Too Far") as William Bligh.
It's no surprise the story of the mutiny on the Bounty has been adapted to screen several times: it has the potential to be both a fascinating adventure and a compelling psychological drama.Not here, though.The 1935 film with Clark Gable and Charles Laughton is still enjoyable, but I liked the idea of a more morally complex version where Bligh was not a one-dimensional monster and the mutineers not idealized heroes (I haven't watched the Brando-Howard movie yet).
He was Lieutenant William Bligh and was very convincing.Mel Gibson was Fletcher Christian, Master's Mate, and the cast included young versions of such present stars as Daniel Day-Lewis and Liam Neeson.