Capt. William Bligh, we find out in "The Bounty," is not really an awful person, he just wants to get his work done quickly and efficiently. He has two goals: to complete his mission for the Royal Navy (delivering breadfruit from Tahiti to Jamaica) and to circumnavigate the globe. If these things had gone his way, the good captain would probably have been remembered by his crew as just one of the many cold and impersonal officers of the British Navy, though if they scratched their brains enough, they might also have recalled that he was not wholly without heart or concern for his men.
Unfortunately, little goes his way. Rounding the tip of South America proves to be an impossibility (though the ambitious Bligh attempts it for 31 days straight), the journey to Tahiti is thus lengthened considerably, the Bounty therefore arrives in Tahiti late, and the breadfruit they plant out doesn't grow fast enough to get the mission completed in time. After having spent so much extra time in Tahiti, the crew, and most of the officers as well, become used the life of leisure in their tropical paradise, and Bligh's authority over them is called into question. Even his second-in-command, Fletcher Christian, finds it am imposition to leave his hut (and his Tahitian hut-mate) and attend dinner with the captain on board the ship.
When they do finally leave Tahiti, Bligh explains very clearly to his officers that they have failed in their duty of maintaining authority, and that he has failed for putting faith in them. But the "cure" for what ails the ship, he tells them, is discipline. Bligh decides to whip the crew back into shape, mostly by whipping Fletcher Christian (figuratively) back into shape. The message to the crew seems to be, if the captain can treat his second-in-command (and friend) in this way, how might he treat THEM if they fall out of line?
The plan backfires, of course, and leads to one of the most famous rebellions in naval history. Bligh and his loyal followers are set adrift in a small boat, though it is here that we see why the very able officer was given a command in the first place.
True, the story is supposed to be about the conflict between Bligh and Christian, but Anthony Hopkins is so very strong as William Bligh that it is mostly he that you remember (though Christian is played very well by Mel Gibson).
Bligh is very much a three-dimensional character. He is by nature distant with his colleagues, but is also passionately devoted to his wife and family, and even enjoys a happy moment with his friend Christian before the journey begins. He is unquestioningly loyal to the Admiralty, but he is also just a tad bitter at not having been promoted to captain (his actual rank is Lieutenant, though he is addressed as "captain" when he commands a ship). He demands respect and the immediate carrying out of orders, but can also admit a mistake and still maintain his authority. Bligh can even (almost) take a joke played at his expense.
Perhaps Hopkins's finest moment is one that you might literally miss if you blink. As he is being carried from his boat to the shore by the natives of Tahiti, he lifts his hat in triumph to the cheering crowd, knowing that the only way to get what he wants from King Tynah (beautifully played by Wi Kuki Kaa) is to present himself as a visiting chieftan. But as soon as the hat goes back on we see a total change: he is now a businessman ready to set up a deal. Glory doesn't interest him, and he wouldn't know what to do with it if he really had it.
"The Bounty" is visually striking, full of beautiful colors and exotic sets. I'm not exactly sure where the island scenes were filmed, but they will make you feel that Tahiti truly is paradise. The cramped space of the small ship is recreated extremely well, and we also are presented with a very real representation of the admiralty headquarters, where Bligh's trial takes place.
Director Roger Donaldson also coordinates his action brilliantly, particularly in the mutiny scene and also in the one in which Bligh and his men have stopped on an island to re-supply and meet up with very unfriendly natives.
If you are a Laurence Olivier fan, you may be disappointed, as he is hardly in the picture. If you yearn to see Mel Gibson, you will be well-satisfied, but also duly impressed. If you like good storytelling and character studies, you will love "The Bounty."
Unfortunately, little goes his way. Rounding the tip of South America proves to be an impossibility (though the ambitious Bligh attempts it for 31 days straight), the journey to Tahiti is thus lengthened considerably, the Bounty therefore arrives in Tahiti late, and the breadfruit they plant out doesn't grow fast enough to get the mission completed in time. After having spent so much extra time in Tahiti, the crew, and most of the officers as well, become used the life of leisure in their tropical paradise, and Bligh's authority over them is called into question. Even his second-in-command, Fletcher Christian, finds it am imposition to leave his hut (and his Tahitian hut-mate) and attend dinner with the captain on board the ship.
When they do finally leave Tahiti, Bligh explains very clearly to his officers that they have failed in their duty of maintaining authority, and that he has failed for putting faith in them. But the "cure" for what ails the ship, he tells them, is discipline. Bligh decides to whip the crew back into shape, mostly by whipping Fletcher Christian (figuratively) back into shape. The message to the crew seems to be, if the captain can treat his second-in-command (and friend) in this way, how might he treat THEM if they fall out of line?
The plan backfires, of course, and leads to one of the most famous rebellions in naval history. Bligh and his loyal followers are set adrift in a small boat, though it is here that we see why the very able officer was given a command in the first place.
True, the story is supposed to be about the conflict between Bligh and Christian, but Anthony Hopkins is so very strong as William Bligh that it is mostly he that you remember (though Christian is played very well by Mel Gibson).
Bligh is very much a three-dimensional character. He is by nature distant with his colleagues, but is also passionately devoted to his wife and family, and even enjoys a happy moment with his friend Christian before the journey begins. He is unquestioningly loyal to the Admiralty, but he is also just a tad bitter at not having been promoted to captain (his actual rank is Lieutenant, though he is addressed as "captain" when he commands a ship). He demands respect and the immediate carrying out of orders, but can also admit a mistake and still maintain his authority. Bligh can even (almost) take a joke played at his expense.
Perhaps Hopkins's finest moment is one that you might literally miss if you blink. As he is being carried from his boat to the shore by the natives of Tahiti, he lifts his hat in triumph to the cheering crowd, knowing that the only way to get what he wants from King Tynah (beautifully played by Wi Kuki Kaa) is to present himself as a visiting chieftan. But as soon as the hat goes back on we see a total change: he is now a businessman ready to set up a deal. Glory doesn't interest him, and he wouldn't know what to do with it if he really had it.
"The Bounty" is visually striking, full of beautiful colors and exotic sets. I'm not exactly sure where the island scenes were filmed, but they will make you feel that Tahiti truly is paradise. The cramped space of the small ship is recreated extremely well, and we also are presented with a very real representation of the admiralty headquarters, where Bligh's trial takes place.
Director Roger Donaldson also coordinates his action brilliantly, particularly in the mutiny scene and also in the one in which Bligh and his men have stopped on an island to re-supply and meet up with very unfriendly natives.
If you are a Laurence Olivier fan, you may be disappointed, as he is hardly in the picture. If you yearn to see Mel Gibson, you will be well-satisfied, but also duly impressed. If you like good storytelling and character studies, you will love "The Bounty."