Mutiny on the Bounty

(Movie Review)

This is a film I've wanted to see ever since I was a young lad, but, despite it's classic film status, I've never managed to run across it until now. (Granted I never really scoured the video stores for it).

It is a fascinating story, and the acting remains top notch even if the style of story telling is somewhat dated. At times the story telling boarders on being pedantic, a trend which starts right at the beginning with the opening prologue.

In December, 1787, H.M.S. Bounty lay in Portsmouth harbour on the eve of departure for Tahiti in the uncharted waters of the Great South sea.
The Bounty's mission was to procure breadfruit trees for transplanting to the West Indies as cheap food for slaves.
Neither ship nor breadfruit reached the West Indies. Mutiny prevented it--mutiny against the harsh eighteenth century sea law. But this mutiny, famous in history and legend, helped bring about a new discipline, based upon mutual respect between officers and men, by which Britain's sea power is maintained as security for all who pass upon the seas.

Like a lot of old movies, subtlety is not always this films strong point.

The prologue pretty much spells out the films plot (which I guess we kind of knew already anyway from the title). And yet it is 1 hour 20 minutes into the film before the mutiny takes place. And during that time you are just patiently waiting for what you already know is going to happen anyway.

During the first 1 hour and 20 minutes the crew is given no lack of motivation to mutiny. In fact "The Simpson's" parody (viewable on youtube here), in which Captain Bligh seems to almost want the crew to mutiny, isn't too far off the mark.

The last 40 minutes of the film, which deal with the aftermath of the mutiny, is in my opinion the most interesting part. And a good history lesson to all us Americans ignorant of British naval history (although as Wikipedia points out, there are some historical inaccuracies in the film).

Link of the Day
Rep. Agema: Legislation will make Michigan "a more Difficult Place for Illegals to Survive"
June 7, 2007: Republican State House member David Agema of Grandville has introduced a measure that will make it more difficult for undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. Ignoring their contributions to the state, Agema instead equates undocumented immigrants with terrorists and claims that they take jobs from Michigan residents.

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935): Movie Review (Scripted)