What is the plot - in one sentence? The tyrannical navy captain Bligh of the HMS Bounty is overthrown on the way from the UK to the Pacific Islands, leaving the mutineers on a tropical paradise.
I don't have time, just spoil it for me? Bligh and his loyal crew are cast adrift, but miraculously reach land, and are able to return to where the Bounty is, for justice. At the end, a few of the mutineers are executed, one is allowed to be an officer on other ships, and the main crew of them get to some godforsaken island and sink their ship.
What is the meaning of the title? The ship is called the Bounty, they mutiny on it. God bless the 1930s and their literal movie titles.
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| Clark Gable, mutiny leader, and 'the other guy'. Like most movies of this era, the two main male characters o through the same motions and beats of a romantic relationship and break-up. This romantic lagoon-side scene is given the beard of having two attractive Polynesian women hungry for them. |
Anything that's not aged well? Does a woman get slapped around? It's all relatively well done seeing as there's a long period where some Victorian age Englishmen are on an island of Pacific island tranquility - but it is largely respectful (I'll admit a bunch of the 'natives' on the boat don't seem too happy about being dragged to Pitcairn at the end of it, but the main pacific island people at least seem brown enough to pass for it, the one worry might be the leader of the nation - a bloke called hiri-hiri, who I'm not sure what colour his skin is, what I am sure about is that he had a huge mole on his upper arm which needs to be looked at.
There's also a lengthy scene where, in a fit of hunger, some of the sailors go fishing and catch a shark. It's very clearly a dolphin they catch. A modern remake might identify what type of animal it was.
Any thoughts? So, this is based on a true story, methinks, and it usually comes in three acts: The conditions on the Bounty are unpleasant, and the captain (Bligh) is the most unpleasant of all. A mutiny is made to seem like the right idea. Secondly, the island paradise has to look like a real alternative for the men who've mutineed, and the last part deals with the repercussions of the mutiny. All three of these are done pretty well: the captain is ghastly, played by a fleshy-faced English fucker. His acts include stealing food, flogging a corpse, and other irrational punishments on his crew. He and a band of loyalists are set adrift, but amazingly find their way to land, which allows for the third act.
The island seems very nice, it's populated by nearly naked people, some pretty women, and a banana leaf barbecue that looks great. The central pair of the movie, Clark Gable (with no moustache, as the lead mutineer) and some other guy, both end up with native wives, which mild research shows is one of Marlon Brando's real-life wives. He knew how to pick them, as she's a dish. It's also very heavily implied that others are out and a-bonin' the native women.
The last bit, where the mutineers flee and end up on a rock, Bligh ends up in high command, and others are hanged, rightly or wrongly, is a bit bittersweet, even if it's not that historically accurate.
Would you recommend this? It's suitably 'grand' and epic, and an interesting version of a pretty well known story. I'll say this one is better than the Anthony Hopkins version I watched a while ago, and it has a really nautical feel. The one thing that dates it very badly is the in focus head-shots, particularly for the two main characters. It's jarring. they'll be having a very earnest conversation, and then it'll close up to their head and have a fuzzy surrounding to it. Other than that, this was enjoyable, entertaining take on an old tale, and it had a truly despicable Bligh, which is nice.
Final thoughts? The other guy, a young officer who had fallen in love with Clark Gable, ends up escaping punishment, evidently because of his class. He seems very chipper to be back on board at the end, despite having seen some of his old, much less blameworthy, friends hanged.
Anyway, this a very confident, modern-feeling movie, I'd recommend it.
Here we go! 49th one done. The others are all right here, waiting for you.
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