Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

Overrated and overhyped

Nice effects though.

How sad is this?

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

"Mutiny on the Bounty" has been watched several times in the past five years by me. I watched the film in scenic pieces or as a whole experience, which strikes me every time how closely the movie still represents a nowadays labor society.The workers as the ship's crew treated by their fore-workers represented by the ship's officers. The fore-workers commanded by their superiors personified through Captain Bligh. The bystanders or above-the-law individuals represented by the ship's doctor, who drinks himself to death and a scientist represented by the character of a biologist, who loses all his research and scientific probes though the ship's mutiny.Nevertheless, in 2017 it feels like an idealized version on fate, when the from-privileged family coming character of Byam comes out clean from all charges and loses his guilt to start another adventure of life in the end, which gives me another proof of how Hollywood's dream factory keeps on manipulating audiences around the world to obey their daily treats, keeping busy at work and earning the right to party to avoid questioning essential topics on a way of life in the 21st century.On the other side, "Mutiny on the Bounty" also lets me surf in a sea of nostalgia of being able to identify with three leading characters. Director Frank Lloyd kept the screen-timing between the characters of Bligh, Christian and Byam in such a near-perfect equilibrium that the film is able to serve as a screen-writing role model for a triangle relationship in character-driven cinema. Scenes are not always as well connected as in a David Lean movie but the sequential grid keeps the suspense high enough to feel the entertainment factor in two-hour-plus movie, where minimal-invasive cinematography leaves no missing camera angle to wish for.The film's secret, which has already been revealed previously, subsides in a still-remaining universal question of what kind of man I want to be in life before death will end it all in an instant. The answer can not be given in full. The main characters' ethics are fluent. A flux of judgment must be felt in full-extension of all senses at any given situation. So that I am forced to conclude with a notion on life that I will be given everything and nothing in each moment in time. The trick may be to avoid lingering in any emotional state for too long and keep on moving to the next.

If was to sum up Mutiny on the Bounty it would be 'immensely satisfying'. The actual build up to the mutiny itself is just so immense. Charles Laughton is an absolute beast as Captain William Bligh, a cruel sadist with no reverence for his crew, even more so due to his prejudice against convicts. I can't stress just how much I love this performance. Shivers go down my back at any of his many outbursts ("Chriiiiiistian!"). For me this is the ultimate love to hate character that when he finally gets his comeuppance after subjecting his crew to overworking, lashings and other mistreatments, it's one of the most satisfying movie moments ever. Just like the crew, you grow to hate this character with a passion. On a personal level I can see many of my old school teachers in Bligh. OK they weren't that sadist but his harsh nature gives me déjà vu of my school days. Bligh is shown however to have a human side though. He does have a friendship with the King of Thatti, the only person who can convince Bligh to be less harsh. Their interactions are the only time in the film Bligh is shown to have a softer side. There's just something about angry ship captains which make for such memorable characters (Captain Ahab, Captain Queeg, James Cagney in Mister Roberts).Of course there is also The King himself: Clark Gable as Fletcher Christian - A figure you would be glad to have as a captain, stern but fair and a man you would happily salute and shout "yes sir!" at. He's the humanitarian saving grace for a crew ravaged at the hand of Captain Bligh. Like Laughton, the hairs on my back rise at any of his outbursts throughout the film ("I call ship's company to bare witness, you killed him!"). Supposedly the two intensely disliked each other possibly due in part to Gable winning the Oscar for Best Actor the year before for It Happened One Night over Laughton's performance in The Barretts of Wimpole Street. This makes the seething hatred between the two characters feels more real making Mutiny on the Bounty a movie of two powerhouse performances. This was Gable's first role in a period film and he fits well into the historical period. Likewise I've never thought much or Franchot Tone as an actor but he's very good as Rodger Byam, an idealist seaman who has to make difficult decisions between his loyalty to the navy and tyranny of Captain Bligh.Then there are the scenes on the Island Tahati. These where filmed on location and are as romantic as it gets. Tahati seems like a world too good to be true; a tropical drug shop of feast, song and sleep. A seemingly care free society in which the inhabitants don't even know about the concept of money. It's such a release after the tyranny experienced on board The Bounty, well until we have to return to the ship that is - no wonder a mutiny takes place. Even with the production code in effect, the scenes on the island are still very exotic and it's defiantly implied Christian and native girl played by Mamo Clark had sex. Shirtless Clark Gable, beautiful exotic women, tropical island paradise, what more do you want? Although I do have to ask; were there really natives who had relations this good with the British Empire?The life size recreation of The Bounty pushes the boundaries of set design at the time. From a visual standpoint the movie excels in the realism department. Likewise the rousing musical score unleashes the imagination of your inner schoolboy. Oh and did I mention James Cagney is in this film; yep he's in there for a brief second. Just when I thought this movie couldn't get any better.In defence of the film for being historical inaccurate; this is a movie, a work of fiction, not a documentary (although I highly recommend 1984's The Bounty, which tells the story with Bligh being the hero and Christian as the villain). Besides how can we ever truly be sure what happened aboard that ship 200 years ago? Regardless of what really happened, I find the tale of The Bounty is a story of great fascination and one which really sparks the imagination. Mutiny on the Bounty is the seafaring movie all seafaring movies are measured against.

Director Frank Lloyd's "Mutiny on the Bounty" deservedly received the 1936 Best Picture Oscar as well as Oscar nominations for Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Directing, and Best Original Musical Score. This entertaining 140-minute version of the vintage Charles Nordoff and James Norman Hall novel, published in 1932, surpasses the costly remake that M-G-M launched with Marlon Brando in 1962 that clocked in at a grueling 178 minutes. Indeed, everything about the 1935 "Mutiny on the Bounty" is superlative. Clark Gable reluctantly shaved off his characteristic mustache to play Fletcher Christian because British officers were prohibited from wearing upper lip facial hair. Charles Laughton played the villainous Lieutenant William Bligh with immense relish, and Franchot Tone was cast as Midshipman Roger Byram on his first sea voyage. Interestingly, these three thespians each received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor. As good as Gable and Tone are as the protagonists, it is frog-faced Laughton with his imperious bearing that sticks in the memory long after the film has faded. You'll want to see Laughton swing from the yard arm for his performance because he is such a despicable villain. Happily, Laughton radiates glimpses of humanity thanks to the skillful writing of scribes such as Talbot Jennings, Jules Furthman, and Carey Wilson.His Majesty's Ship Bounty disembarks from Portsmouth Harbor in 1787 and charts a course to Tahiti to gather breadfruit plants. The plan was to grow breadfruit as an inexpensive food item to feed slaves in Jamaica. As the action unfolds, Fletcher Christian and a press gang prowl the local taverns for seamen to shanghai for service. Meanwhile, young Roger Byram is itching to embark on his maiden voyage to Tahiti. Byram has been assigned to compile a Tahitian dictionary. Lieutenant Bligh has requested Fletcher Christian because he prefers to surround himself with gentlemen. Bligh, it seems, is an admitted self-made man. This marks their third voyage together, and Christian doesn't like the captain. The friction between these two eventually generates sparks that sets them at loggerheads. In real-life, Gable abhorred Laughton because the latter was a notorious homosexual. Some sources claim that M-G-M studio heads cast them opposite each other because they felt the homophobic Gable would give a stronger performance. Laughton milks the insolent Bligh for everything he can. Anyway, the question of stolen cheese and later purloined coconuts exacerbates their enmity for each other to the point that Christian is prepared to usurp Bligh as captain. No sooner have they left Portsmouth than the energetic Byram gets into scuffle with a fellow midshipman and Bligh sends Byram aloft to weather a gale.When they drop anchor in Tahiti, Bligh has had enough of Christian and openly goads the man. Later, during the return voyage, Bligh cuts the water ration so that none of the breadfruit plants will perish. Bligh already has too many plants on board and his decision to deprive his sailors of water backfires. The inhumane treatment of prisoners aboard the Bounty is the last straw for Fletcher Christian and he leads a mutiny. Roger Byram and another midshipman try to thwart Christian, but the mutineers overpower them. Christian sets Bligh, several officers, and crew men in a launch. Incredibly, Bligh manages to sail the open boat across 3-thousand miles or more of sea to a port. Bligh returns to English and takes the Pandora back to search for Christian. By now, Byram and Christian have resumed their friendship. Meantime, Christian has married a native girl and they have a son. When Bligh returns, the naive Byram rushes out to meet the Pandora, and the vengeful Bligh puts him in chains. Christian and the mutineers flee from Tahiti on the Bounty and eventually crash the ship on the reef of Pitcairn Island where they make a new life for themselves. Bligh returns to English after he runs HMS Pandora on a reef. Most of the mutineers are condemned to swing, including Ellison (Eddie Quillan of "The Grapes of Wrath"), who was kidnapped to serve as a sailor on the Bounty. Through the intervention of a friend and a high-ranking Admiral, Byram wins a pardon and is allowed to continue as an officer in the British Navy.Of course, Clark Gable was no Englishman, but he gives better performance than Marlon Brando's hilariously awful performance as Fletcher Christian. Laughton steals the show as the repugnant Bligh. The only thing that the 1962 version has over this epic is its Technicolor cinematography and a replica of the actual Bounty. Director Frank Lloyd depicts the challenging voyage that Bligh makes in an open boat. This episode wasn't emphasized in the Brando version. Furthermore, Christian urges his men, against their wishes, to burn the Bounty once they have run it aground. In the Brando version, Christian refuses to burn the vessel because he plans to return to England and confront the Admiralty with the facts of the matter. Instead, Christian's mutineers set the ship ablaze and Christian tries to save the ship. In his efforts to preserve the Bounty, Christian is trapped below deck and burned so badly that he dies on the beach after his friends try to save him.Bottom line: watch this version of "Mutiny on the Bounty" rather than the 1962 version. Purists will want to watch the Mel Gibson & Anthony Hopkins rehash to see what actually happened.

No wonder this won the Oscar for best picture of 1935. This was a far superior version than the remake of 1962.This version produced 3 actors being nominated for best actor. Charles Laughton stole the film with his venomous performance as Captain Bligh. He was truly the embodiment of evil. He really gave cruelty a new meaning as well as interpretation here. As his assistant, who would ultimately lead the mutiny, Clark Gable was most impressive here. Despite his one scene, why was Franchot Tone nominated for best actor? Of course, in 1935, they didn't have the supporting categories.This terrific film shows what men will do to fight tyranny, no matter where it is. It is really an indictment of military life in the 1700s.