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Rating:  - The last and best film version of this timeless story
By far, my favortie adventure drama film! My only complaint is the opening and background music. It could have used a rousing "Gone with the Wind" memorable theme song instead of the somber haunting music employed. I liked the back and forth switches between Bligh's official enquiry and the story of the Bounty. I don't agree with the too common assessment that Bligh and Christian were both deeply flawed men. This film succeeds in presenting them in a balanced manner. I believe Bligh was mostly a victim of a very unusual set of circumstances. Officially, he was only a first lieutenant, not a captain. Unlike normal crown ventures, he lacked commissioned officers and marines to back up his authority, a critical point the film fails to bring out. Apparently, there is no evidence to back up the implication that Bligh announced his intension to sail around Cape Horn, thus provoking the mutiny. It seems plain that the instigation for the mutiny had mainly to do with the very long(5 months) layover in a paradise of willing girls and relative leisure, which many of the crew, including Christian, preferred to continue over a return to naval drudgery and discipline and an ultimate return to England. Christian apparently, as the film dramatized, had also accumulated an intolerable load of recent brow beatings by Bligh. Apparently, he had considered suicide shortly before the mutiny as the only practical way out of his conflicting feelings, as the film may suggest. It is painfully obvious that the prudish aloof Bligh feels very unconfortable in the leisurely free love atmosphere of Tahiti that most of his men relish. Thus, he seems to his crew a different species all together.
I found this version of the Bounty story far superior to previous versions in terms of its characterization of Bligh and Christian and its overall realism. Anthony Hopkins was unbeatable as Bligh, and should have won an academy award. In contrast to some reviewers, I found Mel Gibson entirely adequate as the real Christian. Some prefer Gable's heroic rabble-rousing version of Christian which fit in with other 1930s swashbucking adventure tales. In terms of realism, it also helped that Gibson was much closer to the real Christian's age of 22 than either Gable or Brando. A few reviewers object to the extensive realistic portrayal of bare-breasted nymphomaniac native maidens, something the strict codes of the mid-1930s wouldn't allow. I found this a definite plus and, having married to South Seas maiden, continue to enjoy the view when not watching this film.
Rating:  - Good movie, but doesn't cover the whole story
This move gave a good summary about what happened regarding the mutiny. I always belived that there are too many important characters in this historical saga to be covered by only one movie. It would be totally awesome if a trilogy was produced that covered the entire Bounty story.
Anthony Hopkins, as always, was excellent as Captain Bligh. The acting was very good and the scenery shots were awesome.
It seems that the movie protrayed Captain Bligh as the villain and Christian as the hero. In reality, who was the bad guy?
Is it Bligh, who treated his men badly with an "iron hand" (but who acted within the law of the admirality) and kept Christian away from the one he loved the most?
Or is it Christian, who followed his feelings instead of logic and broke the law? Thus ensued a mutiny that put EVERYONE'S life at risk. Not to mention that Christian, himself, never thought of possibly being killed by his own men after the mutiny.
Rating: - Good Bounty
I think most people will find this movie very good. Nice scenery and a real "at sea" feel. Captain Bligh had some character inconsistencies to me. I'll leave those for the viewer. In the end, Bligh comes off very well in this depiction, exonerated by the naval court of inquiry in London without reservation. The movie flashes back and forth from the testimony and story. No problem there. The plot lingers too long in the "paradisio" south sea island scenes. They had to get the characters in "love" [sex] affairs with the native women - and one in particular [Christian] takes up much too much time. Chief's daughter strikes out with Christian when Bligh finally rains on the parade. Bligh has his woman provided by the chief as well but he's a prude and lives the incompleted life [the Hollywood weltanschauung].
It's back to sea now fellows and Brit naval discipline sort of thing. Then the mutiny and back to the island for some more love [sex]. That doesn't go this time for the chief sees retribution from the Brits. Hollywood already had milked that one for all it was worth. On to Pitcairne Island, burn the ship, and settle. Good movie and a high recommendation, irrespective of the Hollywood craze for the hedonistic life, as the typical life. Excellent shipboard scenes and a good feel of being at sea in the late 18th century before the mast.
Rating:  - Another disappointment telling of the Bounty saga....
This was a disappointing film. Granted, it's a tad more historically accurate depiction of the Bounty then the other two films made of the story, but it still didn't get at the heart of it. In this film, Captain Bligh is portrayed as more human, but that's really just in the beginning of the voyage. After they leave Tahiti, he becomes deranged and obsessed. No real explanation is given, and it seems the makers of the film resorted to the time worn "good guy/bad guy" stuff because it was easy and doesn't require much thought. The actual story of the mutiny is quite complex. Bligh was not at all mad, but actually quite benign, especially compared to the dastardly Captain Cook, who was as cruel as his reputation suggests, and to other sea captains of his time. Bligh was considerably considerate towards his crew, doubling their rest periods, supervising their diet (to prevent scurvvy), and ensuring they had proper exercise (there is a scene in this film depicting that). He was also a master seaman, managing one of the most extraordinary feats in navigational history, sailing 3618 miles in an open boat for 41 days. This is depicted in the film, but it's really not given any real significance, probably because it would show Bligh in a positive light. It is not really known exactly why there was a mutiny. The most proper explanation is that Fletcher Christian fell in love with Tahiti (and a woman), and that Bligh was furious at the loss of discipline of his crew. Originally, this film was supposed to be two films, both of epic length, directed by the great David Lean. Robert Bolt wrote the scripts, and by all accounts, Bolt's original scripts were masterful. But due to production delays, cost overruns, bad weather, etc., etc., Lean was never able to make the two films he envisioned. He tried to get one film made, but that wasn't to be either. Eventually Lean dropped out of the project, throwing his energy into his final film, A Passage to India. The massive Bolt script was whittled down into a shorter version, and that's what was used for the film here. The film feels like a greatest hits version of the Bounty, without any real nuance or deep character development. The director here, Roger Donaldson, is no David Lean, and it shows. His direction is very workmanlike, and ends up being stale and he doesn't give this film the epic sweep it so desperately needs. The film also glosses over the fate of the mutineers. In this film, it's implied that the mutineers lived in peace and harmony once they landed on Piticarin Island, but in fact, many of which died at the hands of the natives and the others were caught by English ships set out to find the mutineers, and they were all executed. I would suggest reading books on this subject, rather than seeing the films, as none of them reach the complexities of the real story.
Rating: - Seduction of paradise
This movie ranks as one of the most well-done historical movies - ever. Mel Gibson is terrific as Fletcher Christian, and Anthony Hopkins (as Captain Bligh) conducts himself precisely as I would imagine a 19th century British Navy captain going about his business. The movie also stars a young Daniel Day Lewis and Liam Neeson - before either was a really big-name star. None other than Sir Laurence Olivier portrays the admiral who sits in judgment of captain Bligh.
I saw a documentary on the HMS BOUNTY that was shown on the History channel. This movie is pretty darned accurate in its depiction of what actually happened. There was not a whole lot that was Hollywoodized in it, which is rare for an historical movie these days.
The trek of some 2,000 miles over the ocean in an open boat that Bligh & his men had to undertake remains to this day one of the most brilliant feats in maritime history. Without charts or navigation instruments, Bligh got the boat to safe harbor using nothing more than the stars for direction. Some may believe that this part of the film was fabricated - it was not. The journey really WAS that perilous.
I do have one note for parents: the PG Rating is a bit mis-leading. There are gorgeous Tahiti women who frolick around topless once they reach the island. Needless to say, I don't object to this, but parents may want to take caution. I realize the makers of the film believed it to be nudity in a NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC sort of way, but these women are gorgeous!
If you're a fan of navy history and want to find out what really happened aboard the HMS BOUNTY, this movie belongs in your DVD collection. It ranks among my favorite navy movies of all time.
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