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''The Bounty'' is a 1984 British
historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...
directed by
Roger Donaldson Roger Lindsey Donaldson (born 15 November 1945) is an Australian-born New Zealand film director, producer and writer whose films include the 1981 relationship drama '' Smash Palace'', and a run of titles shot in the United States, including ...
, starring
Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apoca ...
and
Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
, and produced by Bernard Williams with Dino De Laurentiis as executive producer. It is the fifth film version of the story of the mutiny on the ''Bounty''. The supporting cast features
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...
, Daniel Day-Lewis,
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on '' Th ...
and Edward Fox. The screenplay by Robert Bolt was based on the book ''Captain Bligh and Mr Christian'' (1972) by Richard Hough. The film was made by
Dino De Laurentiis Productions Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis (; 8 August 1919 – 10 November 2010) was an Italian-American film producer. Along with Carlo Ponti, he was one of the producers who brought Italian cinema to the international scene at the end of World War II. H ...
and Bounty Productions Ltd. and distributed by
Orion Pictures Corporation Orion () may refer to: Common meanings * Orion (constellation), named after the mythical hunter * Orion (mythology), a hunter in Greek mythology * Orion (spacecraft), NASA crew vehicle first launched in 2022 Arts and media Fictional en ...
and Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment. The music score was composed by Vangelis and the cinematography designed by Arthur Ibbetson.


Plot

The film is set as flashbacks from the court martial at Portsmouth of Commanding Lieutenant William Bligh for the loss of to mutineers, led by his friend Fletcher Christian, during its expedition to Tahiti to gather
breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family ( Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of '' Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Phil ...
pods for transplantation in the Caribbean. Bligh sets out from Great Britain in December 1787, electing to sail the ''Bounty'' west round the tip of South America in an attempt to use the expedition to fulfill an ambition to circumnavigate the globe. The attempt to round
Cape Horn Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramí ...
fails due to harsh weather, and the ship is obliged to take the longer eastern route. Finally arriving in Tahiti in October 1788, Bligh finds that due to the delays, the wind is against them for a quick return journey and they must stay on the island for four months longer than planned. During their stay in Tahiti, ship discipline becomes problematic. Many of the crew develop a taste for the easy pleasures that island life offers, especially the native women, making the relationship with their Captain tense. Bligh, at the same time, subjects the crew to pressure, eventually reaching breaking point when some members become intent on staying on the island. When the ship leaves Tahiti, Fletcher is forced to leave his native wife, Mauatua, behind. The resumption of naval discipline on the return voyage turns Bligh into a tyrant not willing to tolerate any disobedience whatsoever, creating an atmosphere of tension and violence. Bligh insists that the ship is dirty and orders the crew to clean up several times a day. Many of the men, including Christian, are singled out for tongue-lashings by Bligh. Playing on Christian's resentment against Bligh's treatment of both him and the men, the more militant members of the crew finally persuade Christian to take control of the ship. Bligh is roused from his bed and arrested, along with those considered loyal to him, and they are forced into a ship's boat, minimally supplied, and cast adrift. The film follows both the efforts of Fletcher Christian to get his men beyond the reach of British punishment and the epic voyage of Bligh to get his loyalists safely to the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, whic ...
in a longboat. Bligh, through courage and excellent seamanship, and a return of his good character and leadership qualities, successfully manages to reach civilisation after a very harrowing journey without navigational charts or firearms. One man, however, is killed by natives as the crew stop for supplies on a hostile island. Bligh is portrayed as a man who, on the one hand takes his sense of discipline and command too far, exceeding the limits of the ship's company, but whose character ultimately successfully protects his loyal non-mutineers and guides their overcrowded boat to safety. The mutineers sail back to Tahiti to collect their wives, girlfriends and native friends. King Tynah, however, is concerned that their presence on the island could incite King George to declare war against Tahiti and his people. Realising the folly of staying, the mutineers gather supplies and sail away to try to find a safe refuge. Christian pleads with Tynah to allow Mauatua to decide her own destiny. Tynah concedes, and Mauatua chooses the uncertainty of a life with Christian over remaining with her father. The search for a safe haven is long and seemingly impossible, as they realise that any pursuing Royal Navy vessels will search all known islands and coastlines to find them. At this point, those who remained on board the ''Bounty'' are so frustrated that they are ready to rebel against Christian to turn the ship back towards Tahiti. After Christian forces the crew to continue on, they eventually find Pitcairn Island, a place which Christian realises is not marked on British maps of the region. As the crew of the ''Bounty'' burn the ship to keep it from being found (as well as to motivate the crew to tough it out on the island), the judgment of Bligh's court-martial is read: Bligh is found not to have been responsible for the loss of the ''Bounty'', and is commended for the voyage of the open boat. Meanwhile, Fletcher Christian and his men realise that they will never go back home to Britain.


Cast

*
Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apoca ...
as Master's Mate Fletcher Christian *
Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
as Lieutenant William Bligh *
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...
as Admiral Hood * Edward Fox as Captain Greetham * Daniel Day-Lewis as Sailing Master John Fryer *
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill (born 17 December 1944) is an English actor. He is well recognized for playing King Théoden in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Captain Edward Smith in '' Titanic'', and Luther Plunkitt, the Warden of San Quentin Prison in ...
as William Cole * Phil Davis as
Edward Young Edward Young (c. 3 July 1683 – 5 April 1765) was an English poet, best remembered for ''Night-Thoughts'', a series of philosophical writings in blank verse, reflecting his state of mind following several bereavements. It was one of the mo ...
(as Philip Davis) *
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on '' Th ...
as Seaman Charles Churchill * Wi Kuki Kaa as King Tynah * Tevaite Vernette as Mauatua *
Philip Martin Brown Philip Martin Brown (born 9 July 1956) is a British actor from Manchester. He is known for his long-running portrayal of English teacher Grantly Budgen in the hit BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'', which he played from 200 ...
as Seaman
John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
* Simon Chandler as David Nelson * Malcolm Terris as Dr. John Huggan *
John Sessions John Marshall (11 January 1953 – 2 November 2020), better known by the stage name John Sessions, was a British actor and comedian. He was known for comedy improvisation in television shows such as ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', as a panellist o ...
as John Smith * Andrew Wilde as Seaman William McCoy * Neil Morrissey as Seaman Matthew Quintal * Richard Graham as John Mills * Dexter Fletcher as Seaman Thomas Ellison *
Pete Lee-Wilson Pete Lee-Wilson is a British television and film actor. Biography His first role was in the television show, ''Metal Mickey''. He has also appeared in ''The Bill'', '' Spooks'' and was in the 2009 ''Doctor Who'' story " The End of Time". Pers ...
as William Purcell *
Jon Gadsby Jonathan Ernest Gadsby (1 November 1953 – 12 December 2015) was a New Zealand television comedian and writer, most well known for his role in the comedy series '' McPhail and Gadsby'' co-starring alongside David McPhail. He died of canc ...
as John Norton *
Barry Dransfield Barry Dransfield (born 1947 in Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire), is an English folk singer, fiddler, cellist and guitarist. He has appeared as a session musician on numerous albums by other artists, and has released his own albums as ...
as Michael Byrne * Steve Fletcher as Seaman James Valentine * Jack May as Prosecuting Captain


Production


Development


David Lean

This version was originally a longstanding project of director David Lean and his frequent collaborator, Robert Bolt. They started working on a script in Bora Bora in October 1977. Lean and Bolt decided to make two films. One named ''The Lawbreakers'' that dealt with the voyage out to Tahiti and the subsequent mutiny, and the second which was to have been named ''The Long Arm'', a study of the journey and the mutineers after the mutiny, as well as the admiralty's response in sending out the frigate . In November 1977 producer Dino De Laurentiis announced he would finance the project and make it after his version of the ''
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dep ...
''. Phil Kellogg was to produce the films. In December of that year, Paramount announced they would finance and distribute. The intention was to shoot the film in Tahiti, where De Laurentiis had built a large facility for shooting ''Hurricane'', including a brand-new hotel. While working on the script, Lean directed a documentary, '' Lost and Found: The Story of Cook's Anchor'', about discovering an anchor that belonged to a ship of Captain Cook. In August 1978 Lean said he expected each film to cost $25 million. "With the high brow critics you're as good as dead if you spend that sort of money on a film", he said. "For that kind of money, the argument runs, anyone should be able to make a good picture. Which is absolute rubbish." A replica of ''The Bounty'' was built in New Zealand. A script was finished by November 1978. Bernard Williams became attached as producer. He says Lean and De Laurentiis assumed both films could be made for $40 million in total, but Williams budgeted ''The Lawbreakers'' alone at $40 million. De Laurentiis decided he could not afford to proceed. "Dino is no longer behind the project", said Kellogg in November, adding "The first script is finished and the second is underway. I expect the pictures to go in about a year by now and we'll make them back to back." On 12 April 1979 Bolt suffered a massive heart attack, followed by a stroke two days later, with the second script incomplete. In August 1979 Anthony Hopkins announced Lean had asked him to play Bligh. They looked at making the project as a seven-part TV series. Paramount were interested but decided to pull out after two months feeling the project was too "masculine" and lacked female interest. Lean tried to interest
Sam Spiegel Samuel P. Spiegel (November 11, 1901December 31, 1985) was an American independent film producer born in the Galician area of Austria-Hungary. Financially responsible for some of the most critically acclaimed motion pictures of the 20th centur ...
who persuaded the director to make just the one film. Lean had a go at the script himself. Lean was ultimately forced to abandon the project after overseeing casting and the construction of the ''Bounty'' replica which cost $4 million. In June 1981 the producer was trying to sell the replica. "It was three years' work wasted", said Lean later. "And the sad part is, it was the best script I've ever had. It was really a cracker it would have made a marvellous film. But after all that work they pulled the rug from under me." De Laurentiis did not want to lose the millions he had already put into the project—$2 million in development costs plus the cost of the ship—and looked for another director.


Roger Donaldson

Donaldson was an Australian who had forged a career as director in New Zealand with ''Sleeping Dogs'' and ''Smash Palace''. The latter was the first New Zealand film to obtain a distributor in the US. Donaldson said he met with de Laurentiis to discuss filming a sequel to ''Conan the Barbarian''. Donaldson worked on a new script for that film. "Some time during that period I mentioned that I thought The Bounty sounded like an interesting project", Donaldson said. "Well, when I finished with the Conan script, he didn't really like it so I figured, well, I'm finished with Dino." The producer then offered him ''The Bounty'' despite not having seen any of the director's films and the fact that his biggest budget to date had been $1 million. (De Laurentiis later says he gave Donaldson the job on the basis of ''Smash Palace''.) "Making the movie was something that, initially, I wasn't sure I wanted to do", said Donaldson. "I thought it might be perceived as some sort of a remake. But I looked at it and decided I'd do it as long as I could do something completely on my own, not a remake at all, but based much more on fact—something to set the record straight." "I saw it as an intense personal drama about two friends who have a tragic and violent falling out—a drama in which your sympathies change as events change", Donaldson said. "When you leave the movie, I hope that deep down you feel that you've understood a relationship between two men."


Casting

Anthony Hopkins was one of two actors considered for the role of Captain Bligh by David Lean. The other was
Oliver Reed Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor known for his well-to-do, macho image and "hellraiser" lifestyle. After making his first significant screen appearances in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s, his ...
. Hopkins was approached as early as 1978. In April 1980, when David Lean was still attached, Christopher Reeve was the favorite to play Fletcher Christian. Lean had enjoyed ''Superman'' and
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...
had recommended Reeve to Lean. "It's not a remake", said Reeve. "The other versions were just remakes of the first movie. This is the true story based on the diaries of those actually on the Bounty and from the trial of the mutineers. It's the best screenplay I've ever read and it would be an honor and a privilege to accept the part of Christian." Reeve stayed on the project through the change in director. However he dropped out at the last minute and was replaced by Mel Gibson. Gibson was looking for a project after ''The Night of the Running Man'' at MGM was cancelled. "I liked the idea they were going to show Bligh and Christian as the young men they were", said Gibson. "I also liked the idea of playing a role that
Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, freque ...
first attempted." The role of Peter Heywood (who inspired the character 'Roger Byam' in the novel and earlier film versions) was originally intended to be played by Hugh Grant. Tevaite Vernette was spotted at Papeete Airport and offered the female lead. She had to be persuaded and only agreed to play the lead once filming began.


Filming

Filming started 25 April 1983. The final script was completed only the day before filming began. The film was shot on location over 20 weeks in Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Port of Gisborne, New Zealand and at the Old Royal Naval College and the Reform Club, Pall Mall, London. Many of the shots of the ship were filmed in Opunohu Bay, Moorea, the bay where Captain James Cook anchored during 1777. Below-the-deck scenes were shot at Lee Studios outside London. The replica of the ''
Bounty Bounty or bounties commonly refers to: * Bounty (reward), an amount of money or other reward offered by an organization for a specific task done with a person or thing Bounty or bounties may also refer to: Geography * Bounty, Saskatchewan, a g ...
'' used in the film was built in Whangarei, New Zealand before the script was even completed at a cost of $4 million; the entire film cost $25 million. Donaldson said the boat "has got to be the most expensive movie prop ever built. It's exact right down to the hand stitching on the sails." The director says filming on the ship was hard. "It's only 90 feet long and its design is archaic. So it rolled all the time and people were constantly seasick. It wasn't a pleasant experience." However, unlike many other films filmed on water, ''The Bounty'' was finished under budget. As well as the New Zealand-built ''Bounty'', Lean had also looked at refitting the
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed an ...
''
Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
'' to play the role of ''Pandora''. The latter has since gone on to become HMS ''Surprise'' in Peter Weir's '' Master and Commander''. For the storm sequences a detailed 25-foot model of the ''Bounty'' was built. Gibson described the making of the film as difficult because of the long production time and bad weather: "I went mad. They would hold their breath at night when I went off. One night I had a fight in a bar and the next day they had to shoot only one side of my face because the other was so messed up. If you see the film, you can see the swelling in certain scenes." Anthony Hopkins, who had battled with
alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
until becoming
abstinent Abstinence is a self-enforced restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, but it can also mean abstinence from alcohol, drugs, food, etc. B ...
in 1975, was worried about Gibson's heavy drinking, saying, "Mel is a wonderful, wonderful fellow with a marvellous future. He's already something of a superstar, but he's in danger of blowing it unless he takes hold of himself." Gibson, who likewise self-identified as an alcoholic, agreed with this concern, and added his admiration for the Welsh actor: "He was terrific. He was good to work with because he was open and he was willing to give. He's a moral man, and you could see this. I think we had the same attitudes." Donaldson said Hopkins "became Bligh" during filming. "So much so that you didn't want to sit with him at breakfast." Donaldson admits he and Hopkins clashed during filming. "I'm a bit of a hard task-master", admitted Donaldson later. "I won't give up until I really think we've wrung everything we can out of every scene... It was 90 degrees in Tahiti and the humidity was 100%, and Tony was wearing this wool-serge uniform, done up to the neck. That was demanding, just physically."


Music

The
score Score or scorer may refer to: *Test score, the result of an exam or test Business * Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio * Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company * Score Media, a former Canadian ...
was composed by Vangelis. The soundtrack has never been officially released, but a two-CD limited edition bootleg was released by One World Music (OWM-95034) in 1995. The score for the tracks "Opening Titles" and "Closing Titles" were remade for the compilation album ''
Themes Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (arts), the unifying subject or idea of the type of visual work * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical ...
'' released in 1989 by
Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
.


Release

''The Bounty'' was screened out of competition as the closing film at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival on 23 May. It was released in the United States by Orion Pictures on 4 May 1984 and in the United Kingdom on 5 October 1984 by Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment. Upon theatrical release in the U.K., the film received a 15 certificate rating.


Home media

''The Bounty'' was released in the U.S. in 1984 and again in 1994 on the LaserDisc format. The film was released as a special-edition DVD in the United Kingdom in March 2002 by Sanctuary with five extra features, including separate audio commentaries, first by the director Roger Donaldson, producer Bernie Williams and production designer John Graysmarkand and solo commentary by maritime historian Stephen Walters, a fifty-two-minute 'making of' documentary narrated by Edward Fox, The Bounty on Film discussing the various Bounty films, original theatrical trailer and booklet. In the United States Twilight Time released a limited-edition
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
on 10 March 2015 with little in terms of bonus material; however, it features an isolated score track by Vangelis. A special-edition DVD and Blu-ray with the same special features as the 2002 issue was released in Australia by Via Vision Entertainment on 5 December 2018. On 2 January 2019 a Blu-ray was issued in the U.S. and Canada by
Kino Lorber Kino Lorber is an international film distribution company based in New York City. Founded in 1977, it was originally known as Kino International until it was acquired by and merged into Lorber HT Digital in 2009. It specializes in art house films ...
Studio Classic with the commentary tracks, Original theatrical trailer and image gallery.


Differences from earlier versions

The first version, an Australian silent film, '' The Mutiny of the Bounty'', was made in 1916. The second, ''
In the Wake of the Bounty ''In the Wake of the Bounty'' (1933) is an Australian film directed by Charles Chauvel about the 1789 Mutiny on the Bounty. It is notable as the screen debut of Errol Flynn, playing Fletcher Christian. The film preceded MGM's more famous ''Mutin ...
'' (1933) was another Australian production, starring
Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, freque ...
in his film debut, portraying Fletcher Christian. The third and most famous version, '' Mutiny on the Bounty'' (1935), starred Charles Laughton,
Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
and Franchot Tone. The fourth, a remake of the third film, released in 1962, starred
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
, Trevor Howard and Richard Harris. The most recent film, starring Mel Gibson, is generally regarded as more revisionist as well as a more historically accurate depiction of the mutiny than the two earlier film versions. According to director Donaldson,
"The major difference between our film and the other versions is that none of the others pointed out that Bligh and Christian were friends. They'd made voyages together before they sailed on the ''Bounty''. And while they were on the ''Bounty'', Bligh demoted another officer and promoted Christian, who was at that stage nothing but a midshipman, and made him second in command. What interested me was to explore how their relationship deteriorated from that point to where Christian leads a mutiny against Bligh."
Unlike earlier versions, this film did not portray Bligh as a villainous character. According to Gibson, "It was a kind of fresh look at Captain Bligh, and I think of all the renditions of who Bligh was, his was probably the closest. His Bligh was stubborn and didn't suffer fools, but he was brilliant and just had a lot of bad luck."Michael Fleming (July 2000). "Mel's Movies", Movieline. ''The Bounty'' also paints a far less heroic portrait of Christian. In Gibson's description, "Fletcher was just a lad of twenty-two and he behaved like one. The first time he decided to test his horns and fight for the herd, it was a mistake. He shouldn't have done it." Gibson later expressed the opinion that the film did not go far enough in correcting the historical record.
"I think the main problem with that film was that it tried to be a fresh look at the dynamic of the mutiny situation, but didn't go far enough. In the old version, Captain Bligh was the bad guy and Fletcher Christian was the good guy. But really Fletcher Christian was a social climber and an opportunist. They should have made him the bad guy, which indeed he was. He ended up setting all these people adrift to die, without any real justification. Maybe he'd gone island crazy. They should have painted it that way. But they wanted to exonerate Captain Bligh while still having the dynamic where the guy was mutinying for the good of the crew. It didn't quite work."
The film also portrays the sailors exploiting the islanders. Unlike the earlier film versions, the native women are shown (accurately) totally bare-breasted. Gibson said, "It was a complete culture shock and it was unbelievable to them. It was paradise in terms of personal freedoms—freedoms that shouldn't have been taken advantage of. They exploited the people, fooled them and didn't tell them the whole truth". Gibson chose to suddenly erupt in violent emotion during the mutiny scene because eyewitness accounts had described Christian as 'extremely agitated' and 'sweating and crying'.


Reception


Box office

''The Bounty'' grossed $8.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $9.7 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $18.3 million, against a production budget of $20 million. In the U.S. and Canada the film grossed $2,622,306 in its opening weekend in 986 theatres.


Critical response

The film received generally favourable reviews, many liking the film for realism and historical accuracy as well as being entertaining. On the
aggregate Aggregate or aggregates may refer to: Computing and mathematics * collection of objects that are bound together by a root entity, otherwise known as an aggregate root. The aggregate root guarantees the consistency of changes being made within the ...
site
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
it has received a 74% rating from 19 critical reviews with an average rating of 6.28/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Thanks in large part to its cast, and Anthony Hopkins in particular, ''The Bounty's'' retelling of the mutiny on the HMS Bounty is an intelligent, engaging adventure saga."
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
gave the film four stars out of four, stating, "this ''Bounty'' is not only a wonderful movie, high-spirited and intelligent, but something of a production triumph as well." However, others were disappointed with the film, especially given its distinguished cast. Many critics singled out Gibson's performance as bland, particularly when compared to the performances given by
Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
and
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
in two earlier adaptations.
Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' stated, "Both Bligh and Christian are unfinished characters in a screenplay that may or may not have been tampered with... The movie seems to have been planned, written, acted, shot and edited by people who were constantly being over-ruled by other people. It's totally lifeless. The film was entered into the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. Colin Greenland reviewed ''The Bounty'' for '' Imagine'' magazine, and stated that "By concentrating on the deadlock of the characters and the inevitable explosion, director Roger Donaldson has left many things unexamined: the Tahitians are not allowed to be much more than stereotype happy savages, for example. But his film is a powerful vision of the hell – and the wild beauty – of the high seas." Anthony Hopkins later said "It was such a sad mess of a film, such a botched job. Yet I'd put so much time and effort into the role. So right then and there I decided: Never again. I will no longer invest so much effort in something over which I have no control. It's too frustrating. That film was a sort of turning point for me. For years I'd been trying to cultivate a don't-give-a-damn attitude. After watching `The Bounty' I knew I had it." He and Donaldson later worked together on '' The World's Fastest Indian''.


See also

* Mutiny on the Bounty * Mutiny on the Bounty (novel) * The Mutiny of the Bounty (1916 film) * In the Wake of the Bounty (1933 film) starring
Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, freque ...
as Fletcher Christian * Mutiny on the Bounty (1935 film) starring Charles Laughton and
Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
* Mutiny on the Bounty (1962 film) starring
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...


References


External links

* * * *
Mutiny on the Bounty
– review of 1935, 1962 and 1984 films
Movie stills

Official website of the Replica HMS Bounty in Hong Kong

Film Review: The Bounty
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bounty 1984 films 1984 drama films 1980s historical films 1980s adventure drama films British drama films British historical films British independent films Drama films based on actual events 1980s English-language films Films set in 1787 Films set in 1788 Films about HMS Bounty Films directed by Roger Donaldson Films scored by Vangelis Films set on islands Films shot in French Polynesia Films shot in New Zealand Films produced by Dino De Laurentiis Military courtroom films Orion Pictures films Seafaring films Seafaring films based on actual events Films with screenplays by Robert Bolt Films set on ships 1980s British films