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Charles Laughton gives the standout performance in this classic retelling of the Bounty mutiny. Gable appears properly confounded and gives a believable and sympathetic rendering of Fletcher Christian. The movie holds up remarkably well despite some awkward editing and gaps in the chronicle line. Collected, at 133 minutes it is a relatively long film but it never drags. In spite of allegations made in other reviews there are no “white girls in blackface” or “boats in a bathtub” scenes. Honest, navels are concealed but the two female leads are obviously and revealingly topless in several scenes. As for “toy boats in a bathtub” there is only one sequence that obviously utilizes a model and it isn’t all that certain. Laughton is the luminary here and his Bligh stays with you. In fact it has stayed with the culture for sixty-five years. His performance is without fault and repeated watchings gain this out. A couple of sequences believe a closer look: The mutiny montage is startlingly effective and intense. It is a realistic portrayal of sudden violence; short, confusing, and graphic. The Sunday morning prayers on deck sequence is poetic and approaches the sublime. The ship’s sails gleam translucent in the sun, the Union Jack floats majestically in the paddle, sunlight reflects brightly on faces as the Captain invokes God’s blessings on the voyage. The coarse dissimilarity of light and shaded in the dim and white print and the metaphorical difference of edifying against Bligh, the epitome of unfriendly, is subtle yet effective. It is a radiant few moments. In every arrangement but gloss this film is safe to the 1962 version. The 1984 “Bounty” with Mel Gibson is a graceful film but it fades in the memory. This version lingers in the subconsious.
This film has never escaped my top ten favorites list. The only film in history to have 3 leading men nominated for best actor. While Gable is perfect as Fletcher Christian and Franchot Tone gives a valid performance as a midshipman, it’s Charles Laughton’s Captain Bligh that sets this film apart. You’ll want to mutiny too. The ensemble cast is also memorable (unlike later films), each playing off Bligh’s totally disgusting presence. Stolen cheeses, rancid rations and repeated lashings drive a crew tranquil by press-gangs to solicit 1st mate Christian to demolish their misery. And he does, casting Bligh adrift and taking the Bounty to Tahiti where half-naked island girls and a perfect quiet life compare to Bligh like heaven to hell. I shed a dart every viewing during Tone’s ‘lift their hearts’ speech at the kill. This is a must eye classic in every sense. Highest recommendation (for all but the youngest children)
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