|
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962 film)
|
Mutiny on the Bounty is a 1962 film starring Marlon Brando, based on the novel Mutiny on the "Bounty" by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall. The film chronicles the real-life mutiny aboard the Bounty led by Fletcher Christian against the ship's captain, William Bligh. It is the third American film to be made from the novel, the first two being In the Wake of the Bounty (1933) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). It was directed by Lewis Milestone. The screenplay was written by Charles Lederer (with uncredited input from Eric Ambler, William L. Driscoll, Borden Chase, John Gay and Ben Hecht [1])
Mutiny on the Bounty was photographed in the Ultra Panavision 70 widescreen process, the first film so credited.
Plot
In 1787, the Bounty sets sail from England for Tahiti under the command of Captain William Bligh (Trevor Howard). His mission is to transport breadfruit to Jamaica, where hopefully it will thrive and provide a cheap source of food for the slaves. On the difficult sea voyage, Bligh's harsh treatment of both men and officers meets with the strong disapproval of his second-in-command, 1st Lieutenant Fletcher Christian (Marlon Brando), but Bligh refuses to change his ways.
When the Bounty reaches its destination, the crew is exposed to the easygoing life in a tropical paradise and to the willing, beautiful Tahitian women. Christian himself is smitten with Maimiti (Tarita). That and the prospect of a long journey under Bligh's stern discipline causes the crew, led by Seaman John Mills (Richard Harris), to mutiny, with Christian reluctantly taking command. Bligh and the few loyal crewmen are set adrift in a small boat.
Christian sails back to Tahiti to pick up the girlfriends of the crew, then on to remote Pitcairn Island to hide from the wrath of the Royal Navy.
Cast
Inaccuracies
This version has the unfortunate distinction of being the least historically accurate of the films. This movie has Bligh and Fletcher meeting for the first time - in reality, they had sailed together before. Bligh is much older in the movie than he was in real life. Bligh was asleep during the initial stages of the uprising; this movie shows him as awake. After the mutiny, Christian suffers from guilt, which severely affects his behavior. He dies at the end of the film after the ship lands at Pitcairn Island, not from being murdered as in real life, but as a result of burns suffered while trying to save the Bounty after the other mutineers set it on fire so that Christian cannot take them back to stand trial. However, most historical evidence shows that Fletcher lived on the island for several years before being killed, and some even believe that he eventually returned to England some years later.
Quotes
- Capt. William Bligh: "Now, this is a typical seaman, a half-witted, wife-beating, habitual drunkard. His whole life is spent evading and defying authority."
- Capt. William Bligh: "Now don't mistake me. I'm not advising cruelty or brutality with no purpose. My point is that cruelty with purpose is not cruelty. Its efficiency."
- Capt. William Bligh: "I am at war. Against ill winds, contrary current, and incompetent officers."
- Capt. William Bligh: "You dare to quote regulations to me?"
- William Brown: "All the rations you need to get us to Tahiti on time. Those were Captain Bligh's words. Rations of what, he didn't say. But he soon showed us. Rations of his favorite commodity, punishment. Served up to the tune of his favorite music, a cry of pain, a scream of agony."
- William Brown: (To Captain Bligh) "Damn my self-respect, sir? Then, indeed, I would be damned."
- John Mills: "He'll surprise me if he doesn't kill half the ship's company before we get to Jamaica."
- Lt. Fletcher Christian: "You bloody bastard. You'll not put your foot on me again."
- Lt. Fletcher Christian: "You've given your last command, Bligh."
- Lt. Fletcher Christian: "One more order, Mr. Bligh, and I'll have your head on this deck. By Heaven, I swear it!"
- Capt. William Bligh: "Your mutiny has not succeeded." Lt. Fletcher Christian: "Perhaps not. But success enough if it puts an end to you."
- Capt. William Bligh: "You, too, Brown? You'd join these swine?" William Brown: "A man like yourself sir, leaves me no choice."
- Lt. Fletcher Christian: "There'll no more killing aboard this ship, not even Captain Bligh."
- Capt. William Bligh: "If that's an attempt to earn clemency, I spit on it."
- Lt. Fletcher Christian: "You remarkable pig. You can thank whatever pig-god you pray to that you haven't quite turned me into a murderer."
- Group of seamen: (To new Captain Christian) "Well, we'd like to be with you, sir. But we've got families."
- Lt. Fletcher Christian: "Will you step into the boat or will you be thrown in, Mr. Bligh?"
- Lt. Fletcher Christian: (After handing Capt. William Bligh a whip) "Take your flag with you."
- John Mills: "We got rid of Bligh. I'd be a dead man if we didn't. Or in prison for the rest of my life if I was lucky." Lt. Fletcher Christian: "You're in prison now, Mills. With one slight difference. We're not locked in. We're locked out."
- Alexander Smith: "Things are going to be all right for you, sir. They've got to be. When a man gives up as much as you did just because he thinks it's right, the Good Lord would never let him down."
- The Admiralty Court: (To Captain Bligh) "The court considers it has obligation to add comment to its verdict. By the force of evidentiary conclusions, you, Captain William Bligh, stand absolved of military misdeed. Yet officers of stainless record and seamen, voluntary all, were moved to mutiny against you. Your methods, so far as this court can discern, showed what we shall cautiously term an excess of zeal. We cannot condemn zeal. We cannot rebuke an officer who has administered discipline according to the Articles of War. But the Articles are fallible as any Articles are bound to be. No code can cover all contingencies. We cannot put justice aboard our ships in books. Justice and decency are carried in the heart of the captain or they be not aboard. It is for the this reason that the Admiralty has always sought to appoint its officers from the ranks of gentlemen. The court regrets to note that the appointment of Captain William Bligh was, in that respect, a failure."
- William Brown: (On questions of how the other mutineers killed each other) "How could it be otherwise? They'd been taught to hate, and Captain Bligh had taught them well. When they needed someone to blame for Mr. Christians death, When they needed a new target for their hatred, who was there to find but each other? First one, then another and another. Men don't learn from their mistakes sir. Its the way of us."
- Captain of the H.M.S. Briton: "We learn a little. The Royal Navy learned. There will never again be abuses such as you witnessed aboard the 'Bounty'.... The Article of War were revised more than ten years ago."
Trivia
- The film has also become legendary for the excessive behavior of Marlon Brando during filming. According to the biography by Peter Manso, Brando's antics included pulling members of the film crew away from the set to work on the decorations for a friend's wedding in Tahiti and flying airplane loads of expensive food and drinks to the island for parties he would throw.
- According to the NPR trivia Show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Brando ripped 52 pairs of trousers from the costume department due to his excessive over-eating.
- Brando later married Tarita Teriipia, who played Maimiti in the film.
- A very well made, working replica of "The Bounty" was made for the movie. The script called for it to be burned near the end of the movie. When he found out, Marlon Brando refused to continue filming unless the ship was spared. The director and producers relented. They built another replica that was burned and the original replica was spared. The original still survives today - in the summer of 2007 it sailed to England and visited several ports [2].
Awards
The 1962 movie did not win any Oscars but was nominated for seven:
External links
