Mutiny on the Bounty (1962 film)

Mutiny on the Bounty (Mutiny on board or Rebellion on board) is a 1962 American film directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard as lead actors. It is based on the homonymous novel by Charles Nordhoff (1887 - 1947) and James Norman Hall (1887 - 1951). It should also be noted that it is an adaptation of Clark Gable's 1935 film of the same name.

In the film, the narrator is the expedition's horticulturist, played by Richard Haydn.

Mutiny on the Bounty had seven Oscar nominations, although it won none, as the big winner that year turned out to be Lawrence of Arabia . With slight changes and omissions compared to the novel (such as the landing in Tenerife), the film manages to tell what life was like at sea and the rules that governed the fate of the crew, as well as showing the island lifestyle in the south from Pacific.

During filming, Marlon Brando met Tarita, who would be his third wife and with whom he would have two children. Brando was in bitter competition with Trevor Howard, who considered him irreverent, throughout the making of the film.

Plot

In 1787, the British frigate Bounty begins a voyage to Tahiti to transport a cargo of breadfruit to Jamaica. The pride and ambition of Captain Bligh (Trevor Howard) lead the crew to fight against his despotic treatment, while also fighting against hunger and the harshness of the sea.

The sailors arrive at the island paradise, where they are greeted by the islanders. The free and uninhibited character of the women subjugates the crew, and many romances begin, such as that of the second officer Fletcher Christian (Marlon Brando) with Maimiti (Tarita), daughter of the head of the island.

But the sailors have to leave Tahiti to fulfill their mission. On the return trip, a confrontation with the second mate over the excessive rationing of water for the benefit of the cargo sparks a mutiny led by crew member John Mills (Richard Harris). The mutineers manage to seize the ship and elect Fletcher Christian as the new captain. Captain Bligh and his crew members - including Fryer, the bosun (Eddie Byrne) - are evicted from the ship and put aboard a dinghy in the vicinity of Tofoa, one of the Tonga Islands.

Instead of heading to Tofoa, Captain Bligh embarks on a perilous 4,000-mile adventure to Timor, only to return as soon as possible to the UK and report the facts to the British Admiralty, which launches an expedition to find and prosecute the rioters. Even so, they blame Bligh for what happened, even though he has not broken the law.

For their part, the mutineers return to Tahiti, and, after provisioning themselves and embarking some islanders with them (women included), they look for a place to live in hiding. They find the island of Pitcairn, which, because it is separated from the shipping lanes and because it is poorly marked on the British Admiralty maps, after burning the ship, becomes their new home.

Cast

• Marlon Brando: Fletcher Christian, second aboard.
• Trevor Howard: William Bligh, the captain.
• Richard Harris: Marine John Mills.
• Hugh Griffith: Marine Alexander Smith, actually called John Adams (1767 - 1829).
• Richard Haydn: The Horticultor William Brown.
• Tarita Teriipaia: Princess Maimiti.
• Percy Herbert: the navy Matthew Quintal (1766 - 1799).
• Duncan Lamont: John Williams.
• Gordon Jackson: Marine Edward Birkett.
• Chips Rafferty: Marine Michael Byrne (n. 1761).
• Noel Purcell: William McCoy (ca. 1763 - 1798), the timonel.
• Ashley Cowan: Samuel Mack.
• Eddie Byrne: John Fryer (1753 - 1817), the countermaster.
• Tim Seely: the aspiring Edward Young, called Ned.
• Frank Silvera: Minarii.

Production

Filming for the film began in October 1960 and ended in July 1961. It was filmed in Hawaii, California, and French Polynesia, particularly on Moorea, Tahiti, and the Leeward Islands.

Reception

The film was a box office flop and was also poorly received by critics at the time. For this reason, it has been classified as a cursed film ever since.