In 1787, British ship Bounty leaves Portsmouth to bring a cargo of bread-fruit from Tahiti but the savage on-board conditions imposed by Captain Bligh trigger a mutiny led by officer Fletche... Read allIn 1787, British ship Bounty leaves Portsmouth to bring a cargo of bread-fruit from Tahiti but the savage on-board conditions imposed by Captain Bligh trigger a mutiny led by officer Fletcher Christian.In 1787, British ship Bounty leaves Portsmouth to bring a cargo of bread-fruit from Tahiti but the savage on-board conditions imposed by Captain Bligh trigger a mutiny led by officer Fletcher Christian.
- Nominated for 7 Oscars
- 3 wins & 13 nominations total
- Directors
- Lewis Milestone
- Carol Reed(fired) (uncredited)
- George Seaton(Christian's death scene) (uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe ship built for the film sank in the Atlantic Ocean after taking on water on October 29, 2012 during Hurricane Sandy off of the East Coast of the United States. It was last seen with only the masts standing above the water. Two of the crew died: the Captain, Robin Walbridge, and Claudene Christian, the direct descendant of Fletcher Christian.
- GoofsThe burning of the Bounty at Pitcairn's Island wasn't the result of one man deciding to destroy it. It was the general consensus of most of the mutineers that the ship be burned because there was no way to conceal it, and they didn't want passing ships to be able to identify their island. It was certainly not done without Christian's knowledge (it was actually his idea).
- Quotes
Fletcher Christian: [to Captain Bligh] You remarkable pig. You can thank whatever pig god you pray to that you haven't turned me into a murderer.
- Alternate versionsThe original 1962 print had a different opening scene, in which a ship's crew lands on Pitcairn and discovers an artifact belonging to the H.M.S. Bounty. They can barely read the name until William Brown (Richard Haydn), now aged, appears on the beach and says "Bounty". He then proceeds to tell the story of the famous mutiny, of which he is apparently the last surviving member. That is why we hear his voice narrating the story. In all current prints, including the one shown on Turner Classic Movies ca. 2005, this opening scene is omitted, so we do not know why Brown is telling the story in voiceover. However, the scene has been restored on the 2006 DVD release.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hollywood: The Fabulous Era (1962)
All of these elements help to elevate the core story in Mutiny on the Bounty: Bligh and Christian. As Bligh, Trevor Howard changes the character immortalized by Charles Laughten in the 1935 version. Instead of inhuman, demonic tyrant, Howard portrays Bligh simply as an excruciatingly stern captain focused(a little overzealously) on doing the best job that he can. If his mean do not pursue his goals with the same fervor. He gets impatient then frustrated then angry and then violent all in quick succession. He makes for a very realistically workaholic without a life, and he wants everyone else to be a workaholic, too. I thought Clark Gable's Fletcher Christian could not be topped...until I saw Marlon Brando undergo a sheer transformation playing the role. After seeing Brando in ON THE WATERFRONT and the equally American THE GODFATHER, I could not imagine him playing 18th Century British officer...but he did. Brando perfects the haughty, posturing walk. He perfects the clipped, accented speech. He perfects the foppish, effeminate walk of a "true" English gentlemen of high-born connections. Brando does it so remarkably well that one cannot imagine such sissified character leading a mutiny against a tyrannical man like Bligh. Brando's transformation of Christian from sissy to mutiny leader baffles. Unlike Gable, he doesn't gloss over the decision to be a mutineer. Gable made it look easy and as the "right thing to do". Realistically, is it the right thing to do? To throw away your career that you worked hard for? To throw away your life? All for the sake of a feeling a moral belief? It may sound hard, but when faced with a such a delimma, it can be agonizing...which is exactly what Brando captures to a tee, right down to the last frame.
Mutiny on the Boutny 1962 truly needs to be seen. Please don't listen to critics. This movie is fantastic.
- RHW5000
- Aug 13, 1999
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Meuterei auf der Bounty
- Filming locations
- Bora Bora, Leeward Islands, French Polynesia(first breadfruit collecting party)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $19,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime2 hours 58 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.76 : 1