78. Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)

I must say this has quickly become one of my favorite movies of all time. It is one of those traditional epic films made during the 50’s and 60’s. Bounty stars Marlon Brando as 1st Lt. Fletcher Christian and Trevor Howard as the heartless Captain William Bligh. From the time they set sail Christian and Bligh at each other’s throats. Bligh fashions himself an old school, tough captain while Christian is more of an aristocrat sailor who doesn’t seem like he’s had to actually work that hard in his life. This eventually escalates to Christian’s mutiny against Bligh.

There were three things that really impressed me with this movie. The first was the spectacle event which was obviously something the director, Lewis Milestone, was aiming for. You don’t notice it at first as much but by the time they are done getting pushed around by the seas and they reach Tahiti it is everywhere. Upon reaching Tahiti you see hundreds of ships and thousands of extras running around on the island. MGM spared no expense in making this film. There were even elaborate dance sequences in which the people of Tahiti demonstrated their culture for the sailors. The older spectacles remind me of modern action films. The huge number of people and events seems similar to the modern explosions and CGI that blockbusters have nowadays. Even after it’s incredible running time of 178 minutes (not including the overture to being the film or the intermission in the middle of it) I was still enthralled.

The second thing that impressed me was the development of tension between Bligh and Christian. As I said from the beginning the two do not get along. Also the viewer knows there will be a mutiny given the title. So then the question becomes “exactly how much of this will Christian tolerate before he mutinies? “ It begins when one sailor says something that is fairly unpleasant of the captain and the man is whipped for his intolerance. Later in the film the captain has men put in chains for trying to escape while on Tahiti. Throughout the journey we see Bligh time and time again do things that put the lives of the men in danger. After Bligh makes it nearly impossible for the men to reach drinking water it comes to a head. Christian assists one of the dying men against Bligh’s orders and it results in a mutiny. From there we see the Christian and his men return to Tahiti before settling on an uninhabited island.

The final thing that I found impressive was the acting and character development of Marlon Brando. There’s a reason he is considered one of the best actors of all time. In the beginning you’re wondering who this guy is and what type of person is he. He then shows that he seems to be on the side of the sailors but then later follows an order of Bligh which seems to go against his character. Later on we see him fall in love so we see his soft side, something Bligh never shows. Finally after he can take no more of Bligh’s rules, which end up killing three men, he mutinies. He does this because he knew it was the right thing to do and something that needed to be done. However, after it he locks himself in his captain’s chamber while the rest of the men return to Tahiti. It seems he has become the evil figure Bligh was the last time they visited the island. It takes his lover, Miamiti, to get him back into shape. She does not put up with his loathing and gets him, along with the rest of the men, moving in the right direction. During this transformation of character the viewer at first is on his side then later fears that he has become Bligh. Later on in the film (remember it is near three hours so there is a lot to talk about!) Christian shows his true character which is more than him. He is willing to return to Britain and face the gallows just to clear his name. His personal honor is more important to him than his life.

Mutiny on the Bounty, really the first epic style film I’ve watched from beginning to end in one sitting, was amazing. I was enthralled from the beginning all the way to the end. It was truly an amazing film and I have since recommended it to everyone. The film had great acting, an incredible story, and an impressive spectacle to boot. A+ film for sure.