#86. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

Thanks a lot Johnny Depp.

If it weren't for you I wouldn't have such an aversion to any movie that takes place on a boat. I wouldn't have consciously avoided movies that take place on the high seas for fear it would suck as bad as "Pirates of the Caribbean." I might have seen "Mutiny on the Bounty" years ago had it not been for your awful Captain Jack Sparrow crap. You have deprived me of a good movie watching experience for the last time!

The story of "Mutiny on the Bounty" is by no means an original story- it is in fact based on the true events of the commandeering of The HMS Bounty in 1789. This account describes the ship's Commanding Officer, Captain Bligh, as a sadistic and domineering Captain who drove the men to treason through starvation and physical abuse. Charles Laughton, who was an English transplant and has all kinds of ties to the legitimate theatre of London's West End, plays this role masterfully, to the point where I believe his performance is vastly underrated in the scope of cinematic villains.

You first start to hate Bligh as soon as he is introduced. He takes command of the Bounty and immediately orders the flogging of a sailor accused of insubordination... even though he is already dead. Bligh does this not simply to carry out the punishment, but because he is so tyrannical and power hungry that he feels disrespecting an officer is heinous and unforgivable. Also, by making the rest of the crew witness the punishment, he believes he will instill fear in them and ultimately command their respect.

From there, Bligh's actions only become more intolerable. He cuts rations for the men, accuses other crewmen of theft when it is implied that he in fact has been committing the deed, steals personal property of his other officers citing that anything aboard the ship is property of the Crown and finally, lets the ship's beloved and elderly surgeon die in front of the whole crew when he orders him to work in spite of grave illness. This final act of evil is what finally drives the mutineers, led by Fletcher Christian (played by Clark Gable) to take over the ship.

The crew of The Bounty has just spent several months on the island of Tahiti in search of exotic foods to bring back to England. As soon as they are back aboard The Bounty they learn that Bligh is even more sadistic than before. In addition to seizing one of the men's pet pig for food, he also has decided that the crew will go without water. Instead, all the liquids the boat can spare have to be used for the breadfruit plants Bligh is taking to England to establish his greatness. Because of this, the motivation to commit the mutiny is only greater, as life on Tahiti had been idyllic and far more attractive than the prospect of living under Bligh's rule.

The one fatal flaw the crew makes is in not killing Bligh. Christian decides to set him adrift in a lifeboat along with his remaining loyalists and a small supply of food. The Bligh crew winds up returning to England thanks to his incredible navigation skills. It is during these moments of desperation that I actually found myself admiring Bligh. He motivates his crew, pep talks them through starvation and finds ways to keep them alive out of appreciation for their loyalty. Even though the fact of the matter is probably that he no longer has anyone to abuse or any real way to overpower the crew now. Once he makes it back to England he is able to relay the story of the mutiny to the Royal Navy and pursue the mutineers and even bring some of them to justice.

"I don't try to justify Christian's crime, his mutiny. But I condemn the tyranny that drove him to it" (Midshipman Roger Byam, "Mutiny on the Bounty")

The most beautifully artistic achievement this film manages to pull off is the build up to the Mutiny itself. At any time during the film, there would have been sufficient grounds to justify the taking of the ship from various points of view. Rather than use just a few examples there is literally a new reason to hate the man every time Bligh is shown. It builds to the point that there is no other alternative than for Bligh to be overthrown; but this is not done redundantly. You never say to yourself "Ok, we get it, lets get on with the mutiny." Rather, you find yourself saying "I can't believe this guy, this mutiny is gonna be SWEET!" Because of this, what could be viewed as a long time waiting on the inevitable becomes a big payoff.

There have been many adaptations of "Mutiny on the Bounty" but this one is considered to be the best and closest to historical fact. I don't know how close to true this movie is, but I know that you would be hard-pressed to find a better villain than Captain Bligh. I also know that the fact that the three lead actors in this movie were all nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor is a testament to how great everything about this movie, culminating with the casting, was. Thank you "Mutiny on the Bounty" for erasing the stain Johnny Depp has left on my mind and showing me that there are truly great seafaring movies to be seen!