“Mutiny on The Bounty” is the (mostly) true story of the famous shipboard rebellion. It’s a suspenseful and exciting adventure story-- but despite the fast pace, and a corny closing speech that attempts to wrap the whole thing up with a simple moral lesson, this is a movie with considerable depth. Screenwriters Talbot Jennings, Jules Furthman, and Carey Wilson; director Frank Lloyd; and stars Charles Laughton and Clark Gable turn it into far more than a rousing action movie. In the end, “Mutiny on the Bounty” forces us to consider questions about the nature of duty, of friendship, and of sacrifice.
[SPOILERS FOLLOW]
The heart of the film is the relationship between Laughton’s Captain Bligh and Gable’s Fletcher Christian. Initially, it seems clear that Bligh, with his hot temper, his penchant for beating his sailors, and his willingness to steal from His Majesty’s Navy, is a villain through and through, while Christian, with his suavity, his concern for the sailors, and his willingness to speak his mind, is thoroughly the hero.
But as the story progresses, things become a little muddier, as we gradually realize that Bligh and Christian are not all that different. Bligh, after all, has convinced himself that by imposing a fear-based order on the ship, he’s doing the men a favor. It’s only his stubbornness and pride that stops him from seeing how much harm he’s doing.
Christian, for all his concern for the men, is in the same situation. He believes that by suggesting Bligh go easy on the men, he’s doing the crew a favor--but Christian’s stubbornness and pride prevent him from seeing that he’s only goading Bligh into further acts of terror. It slowly becomes clear that if Christian would only shut up, Bligh would ease up, if only a little.
The irony of the situation becomes even clearer after Christian leads the crew in a mutiny. Set asea on a tiny boat with a handful of crewmen, and without Christian there to goad him, Bligh administers discipline with a warmer and more sympathetic touch. And put in charge of a boat full of unruly seamen, Christian is forced to assert discipline more firmly than he might have suspected.
In the end, Christian’s mutiny forces the men into a life of exile, far away from their homes, while Bligh’s harsh discipline would have returned them safely to England. Who, then, is the hero? There’s not an easy answer.
Flogged Mr. Christian and his 18th-century shipmates overthrow cruel Capt. Bligh and set him adrift. Directed by Frank Lloyd. Oscar for best picture.More at HotMovieSale.com
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