Mutiny on the Bounty
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Movie Reviews of Mutiny on the Bounty
Movie Review: Mutiny on the Bounty
Summary: 5 Stars
#86 on The American Film Institute's Top 100, "Mutiny on the Bounty" is one of the few films to receive only the Best Picture Oscar at the 1935 Academy Award ceremony. It's a film that begins slowly and then slowly builds to becoming a great masterpiece of film with terrific performances by Charles Laughton and Clark Gable. This movie proves along with "Gone With the Wind" and "It Happened One Night" why Gable is one of the most remembered actors. His charm and likeability is in top form in this film. I'm not a big fan of movies that take place almost entirely at sea (even "great" films like Master & Commander didn't rub me the right way), but "Mutiny on the Bounty" is an exception due to the great performances and the fact that once it takes off, it's pretty entertaining. Gable plays first officer Fletcher Christian, who in the opening of the film gathers up people to go aboard a ship called The Bounty. There they will dedicate two years of their lives to the ships, whether they like it or not. Christian and midshipman Byam (Franchot Tone) are nice enough but it's Captain Bligh (Laughton) that makes the ship a living hell for everyone. Bligh is a fat, ugly, mean man who takes pleasure in flogging his crewmembers and accusing them of things they haven't done. When he's caught in a lie, he responds by having the "catcher" flogged. Christian is smart enough to know that he has no choice but to tolerate Bligh's abuse, but Christian's temper is just as bad as Bligh's. Finally, he snaps and mutiny occurs on the Bounty...Although, I'm sure you probably already figured that out. It's little wonder that Gable, Laughton, and Tone were all nominated for Best Actor (they all lost to Victor McLaglen) for the first and only time in Oscar history, although the Best Supporting Actor category did not yet exist. "Mutiny on the Bounty" is not, in my opinion, one of the best films ever made. It is a great film that has aged better than a lot of films that were made 20 years after it and for 1935, a lot of the special effects are well done. This film is probably one of the littlest known films on that top 100 list, yet it deserves more viewings than other films on the list like "The Jazz Singer" and, dare I say it, "Ben-Hur." It won't appeal to everyone, but it's worth seeing for the performances alone. Both Gable and Tone are very likeable and charismatic, while Laughton isn't a character you love to hate. You just hate the guy.
GRADE: A-
Movie Review: Good Old Fashioned Adventure Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I hate adventure movies and got this when I only had four minutes to pick something off the shelves of the public library. I watched two of them before I got down to this--not really expecting to see it through.
So, imagine my surprise when I, not only sat through the whole thing, but actually enjoyed it. It's a great story---who cares if it's not historically accurate--we can Google for that. It moves along quickly. We see the horrible stuff but somehow it gives us enough happy scenes so you don't just want to turn the film off. The stay in Tahiti is a rest, not just for the sailors but for the viewers.
It is a terrific story and it does help to know that it actually happened, more or less. What really brings it home is the acting. As everyone here has said, Charles Laughton, as Captain Bligh is a most despicable hero--not just hideously cruel but there's something about his pudgy body and puffy, pouty mouth that really gives you the creeps.
His perfect counterpart, the gorgeous, hunky, dimpled Clark Gable is endearing from the opening scene in which we see he is a man's man, but has a heart. Oh, those dimples!
He truly deserves the heart of the beautiful native girl who falls in love with him. The plot twists a bit, holding your interest, as Gable as Christian, the hero, has to make some heavy decisions. Even though the film is a bit long by our standards, it held my interest to the end.
Then, there is an incredible short added to the DVD which was made in the style of the newsreel features of the time. It shows what happened to the group that Christian led to Pitcairn Island. We always wonder what happened to folks after the end of the film, and this fills us in. What is really strange is the tone of this feature which emphasizes the terrible crime of the mutineers, and the unhappy moody character of Christian. It's a total flip from the tone of the movie but it is interesting to see actually footage of the inbred people who populated the island at the time of the film. One wonders where they got the starchy nice clothes that they wear to the three church services that are held every Sunday and why they choose to remain there...that would be a good subject for another film.
Movie Review: BEST PICTURE 1935 awesomely restored classic on DVD!
Summary: 5 Stars
Warner Brothers Entertainment Inc and Turner Entertainment Co. have cooperatively restored and remastered Hollywood's Golden Age Movie Classics and released them under Warner Home Video Inc DVD label. These classics are meticulously restored both picture and sound. The results are an amazing Home Theatre experience. The quality is even better than the original 1935 theatrical presentation."Mutiny On The Bounty" was 1935 BEST PICTURE Oscar Winner. (Also voted into AFI's (American Film Institutes) Top 100 Movies in 100 Years (circa 1998)) Starring Charles Laughton as the infamous Captain Bligh and Clark Gable as 1st Officer Fletcher Christian. This Standard Format Black/White feature was quite a lengthy picture for the 1930's ( 132 minutes ). But the story moved by very quickly covering several years ar sea. From Portsmouth England to Tahiti / Pitcairn Island & back twice for Bligh.
The year was 1787 when English seaman were shanghied and made to serve on his magesty's ships for years. Average common men drafted and taken from their families unwillingly. This story "Mutiny on the Bounty" is based on true incident which changed the Rules of Seamanship forever. Due to Captain Bligh's blatant disregard of human rights and cruel inhuman punishment for any questioning of his unreasonable orders. He was a common man who through pain & suffering climbed to the rank of Lieutantant. Hating Christian for his being a refined gentleman and well educated officer. This story vividly shows us the world of the seaman via 1787 and how an unspeakable "MUTINY" results. An outstanding movie and the players are well casted for their roles!!
Extra features include; Vintage documentary - "Pitcairn Island Today" (circa 1935), Academy Award Newsreel and Theartical Trailers (1935 & remake with Marlon Brando 1962).
This is a must have DVD for your Home Theatre library. Enjoy
Movie Review: A classic with a 2-star presentation
Summary: 5 Stars
The story of mutiny on HMS Bounty has been told and retold many times. It may be classified as an allegory for what power and corruption can generate (think American Revolution). When people are pushed too far, either in reality or in their own mind, the result is backlash, such as occurred on HMS Bounty. There have been many theatrical versions of MOTB from the first in 1916 to the last Gibson-Hopkins version in 1984. The most notable were the 1962 Marlon Brando and the 1935 Clark Gable versions. Of all, the most memorabe one was the 1935 run. The acting was top-notch and showed a compassionate Fletcher Christian torn between duty and human responsibility culminating in the mutiny in the 1780s. On the flip side was the superb rendition of Captain William Bligh by the indomitable Charles Laughton, one of the greatest actors ever to grace stage and screen. Like a politician, Laughton displays a man who is doing everything to insure his future comfort at whatever expense to his conscience or to others. He is totally self-centered with little regard for his men and possesses a somewhat sadistic flair. The entire film is enjoyable from beginning to end and draws the viewer in with it. Now for the 2-star presentation! It appears that this was a straight transfer from a previously produced VHS Print. One wishes that Criterion could have gotten into the act since they do not usually put out a product unless it has been pain-stakingly restored with images that are clear and sharp as the original film was (Hint to major studios releasing their films). Overall, however, the rating remains 10 on a one-ten scale for one of the finest motion picturs ever produced.Movie Review: Great Tale of the Sea
Summary: 5 Stars
I was not expecting much from this film. Most historical movies that win Academy Awards are dull and lifeless filled with facts and not enough humanity. I should have taken more notice of the amazing cast before I jumped to conclusions because this film completely changed my mind.
Mutiny on the Bounty is based on a true story. The English ship Bounty is carrying supplies to trade with remote islands far away. Captain Bligh is a horrid man whose tactics involve drastic punishments and toughness. His crew despises him for his torture and starvation routines to the point that they resort to mutiny. Some stay loyal but many retreat back to the exotic islands and then on to Pitcairn Island to hide away from the British government.
The story sounds a bit boring but it is rich and exciting. Perhaps the most vital thing is the characters. Clark Gable plays the leader of the mutiny, a strong, decent man. Franchot Tone plays out his best role as the serious and traditional Englishman who stays loyal to the awful captain in spite of his friendship with Gable. Charles Laughton is brilliant as the captain, a wicked and hateful man. Every stern berating and sneer that comes from his character involves the audience more and more until finally some relief comes when he is cast off to sea by his abused crew.
The short film called "Pitcairn Island Today" is great because it is an example of documentary film making in the 30s and it also shows what happened to the real mutineers. It is a very interesting film although not long or spectacularly done.