Mutiny on the Bounty (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Marlon BrandoBrand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Widescreen, 2.55:1
Running Time: 185 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-11-07
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: 79197
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- This grandiose, self-important, often ludicrous remake manages to be thoroughly entertaining almost in spite of itself. Lush tropical locations help as does Brando's campy, bemused performance. Howard plays the sadistic Capt. Bligh with tremendous relish. The two stars reportedly disliked each other, leading to on-set confrontations that rivaled those aboard the Bounty. Format: DVD MOVIE
Movie Reviews of Mutiny on the Bounty (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Movie Review: The most captivating and compelling version of the mutiny on the Bounty story
Summary: 5 Stars
Although there were two early Australian films addressing the mutiny on the Bounty story (one with Errol Flynn), the three available to the public and best known are 1.) The 1935 Oscar-winning black & white version with Clark Gable as Fletcher Christian; 2.) The 1962 Marlon Brando version; and 3.) The 1984 version with Mel Gibson simply titled "The Bounty."
THE STORY: The famous mutiny story is so fascinating because it's TRUE. William Bligh, as acting Captain, was sent on a mission in December 1787 to pick up breadfruit plants from Tahiti and bring them back to England. Bligh intended on circumnavigating the globe to fulfill the mission. Unfortunately he and his crew failed to make it around Cape Horn, South America, and had to take the long way around Africa. It thus took them 10 months to reach Tahiti, wherein they were forced to stay another five months due to the breadfruit's "dormant" period. The natives were friendly and the women ultra-beautiful; the Bounty crew naturally fell under the spell of the Polynesian paradise, with the exception of Bligh, that is. Christian even married the king's daughter, Maimiti. But after five months they had to get on with their mission and return to Naval discipline and England. Three and a half weeks later on April 28, 1789, Fletcher took over the ship with 18 other muntineers. 22 remained loyal to Bligh and 2 others were neutral. Christian set Bligh and 18 loyalists adrift in the ship's launch boat. He then returned to Tahiti where he dropped off 16 men, but picked up 6 Tahitian men and 11 women. Christian then set forth with 8 other mutineers and the Tahitians to elude the Royal Navy, ultimately settling on Pitcairn Island, which was well off the beaten path and misplaced on Royal charts, seemingly a perfect hiding place to live out the rest of their days.
Mel Gibson's version is certainly the most historically accurate and I definitely recommend seeing it, but Brando's version is the most epic in scope, as well as the most captivating and compelling despite its 3-hour length. As for the 1935 black & white version, I was extrememly disappointed with it. It's a fine film for its day, but it'll likely come across dated and fabricated to most modern viewers. Anyone who argues that it's the best version is tainted by nostalgia pure and simple. I'm unbiased on the issue and can assure you that both the 1962 and 1984 versions blow it out of the water in practically every area.
How accurate is the 1962 version? Nitpickers like to grumble about historical inaccuracies, but the fact is that the entire gist of the story is accurate: Fletcher was born to an aristocratic family who were losing their wealth due to the widowed mother's irresponsible spending (why do you think he took the mission?); two cheeses did come up missing and Bligh was the real cuprit who unjustly blamed others; they did fail to sail around Cape Horn after only going 85 miles in a month (!); they did spend five months on Tahiti and Fletcher did romantically fall for Maimiti; after the mutiny Fletcher and his crew did ultimately end up stranded on Pitcairn Island where they set The Bounty ablaze; and Christian did ultimately die on Pitcairn, although in real life he lived for another three and a half years before being killed by one of the Tahitian men in a conlict that broke out between them and the British.
There are a number of fabricated elements, however: Christian was only 23 years old when the mission started, whereas Brando is about 37 in the film; Bligh knew Fletcher and actually sailed with him twice before, whereas the film shows Bligh meeting Christian for the first time; the mutiny itself took place at night wherein Bligh was awakened by the mutineers not in the daytime over a ladle of water as shown in the film; and, lastly, Fletcher didn't die due to wounds received while attempting to retrieve items from his burning ship.
Still, as stated above, the gist of the story is completely accurate.
WHAT WORKS: Marlon Brando as Fletcher Christian is infinitely captivating, as well as Trevor Howard as Bligh. The viewer observes their relationship get steadily worse over the course of the story culminating in the mutiny. Although Bligh is depicted as an ultra-authoritarian, contemptible of his men and reveling in punishment, one gets the overall picture that he did what he did mostly because he was so hell bent on accomplishing his mission. After the mutiny fletcher points out that the Admiralty would likely consider Bligh's actions justifiable.
I'm not defending Bligh, he obviously had some serious character flaws and became known in the fleet as "that Bounty bast@#d." In fact, later in his career he suffered ANOTHER mutiny in New South Wales, Australia! Although brilliant as a seaman, he was by all accounts an unlikable bastage to those around him. His arrogant, abusive nature obviously destroyed loyalty and drove people from him. Still, I respect the fact that the film doesn't depict him as a villain dripping with evil as does the 1935 version.
There's a potent scene not long after the mutiny wherein Bligh and his 18 loyalists sit in the launch boat trying to figure out what to do. Bligh ultimately decides to sail to Timor, which was 3600 miles away, rather than strand themselves on some uncivilized island. What obviously drives Bligh's mad decision is his utter hatred of Christian and his desire for revenge. When some of the loyalists understandably object to the idea Bligh picks up a small sword without hesitation and matter of factly states, "It would be a mistake to assume that I am no longer in command here."
The fascinating thing is that Bligh succeeded in taking the launch to Timor -- an amazing feat of seamanship and navigation, especially in light of the fact that all he had was a sextant and pocket watch; he had no charts or compass! It took them 47 days to sail 3618 miles with very few provisions on an incredibly overcrowded small craft. Although all of them survived the trip, five died in the ensuing days and months due to ailments sustained during the voyage. Unfortunately the film does not depict this incredible journey. Gibson's version does, however.
This 1962 version also powerfully depicts Christian's depression after the mutiny. He locks himself up in his cabin while the rest of the crew parties it up on the mainland in Tahiti. He knows he can never go home again. This is a great, realisitic scene. Maimiti ultimately visits Fletcher in his cabin but can't shake him out of his depression; she angrily quotes a Tahitian proverb: "You either eat life or life eats you!"
Another positive aspect is that the picture at least reveals a little bit of what life promised the mutineers on Pitcairn; neither the '35 or '84 versions do this.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Aside from the historical inaccuracies noted above, I see only two problems: Parts of the initial 10-minute dock sequence are stagey and dated, e.g. one man speaks, then another, etc. It comes off unreal and tempts the viewer to tune out before the story even gets started. The good thing is that it doesn't last long and once the voyage is underway the film utterly captivates.
The other problem, as already noted, is that Bligh's brilliant trip to Timor in the launch is not depicted. I would have preferred to see at least a few scenes devoted to this incredible voyage.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Despite the few historical inaccuracies, Brando's 1962 version is the most engaging version of the famous mutiny. This is definitely one of my all-time favorite films! I see it about once every two years and it never fails to capture my full attention. This is a sign of a really great film (yes, despite the fact that it inexplicably bombed when it was first released). Gibson's 1984 "The Bounty" is a worthy rendition as well; it's historically accurate but not as compelling. I recommend watching both films back to back, which is what I usually do.
THE FATE OF THE MUTINEERS: There was ample land, water and food for the 9 mutineers, 6 Tahitian men and 11 women on Pitcairn. Christian naturally became the established leader of the colony and many children were born. Although Fletcher treated the Polynesian men fairly, other mutineers treated them like servants and relations deteriorated. When John Williams' wife died he took one of the Polynesian men's women as a "replacement" which naturally caused the natives to revolt. In the ensuing conflict five of the mutineers died, including Christian, and all 6 of the Tahitian men. Of the four remaining mutineers, one died in a drunken fall and Quintal was killed by the remaining two after a violent drunken fit of rage. Ned Young died of asthma in 1800, leaving John Adams, 9 women and 23 children to be discovered by an American vessel in 1808. Interestingly, John Adams (aka Alex Smith) had a bible from the ship and had became a devout Christian, along with Ned Young, during his years on the island, converting the native women and children and holding regular church services. Adams was ultimately granted amnesty by the British government for his part in the mutiny. Today the island is home to about 50 people from 9 families, most descendants of the mutineers, including Fletcher Christian; many adherents of Seventh-Day Adventism due to a successful Adventist mission in the 1890s.
Summary of Mutiny on the Bounty (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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