Just what I expected

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Blistering performances.

I admit to not being that familiar with many of Clark Gable's movies except of course "Gone With The Wind". It was weird how I didn't even recognize him at first. That's actually probably a good thing seeing as how an actor should be used to different kinds of performances. With Oscar Month on TCM, they had to feature this. This is based on a true story which I had in fact heard of. I think the only bad thing about this movie is that it is a little too long. Of course, when telling a story based on true events you really do need all the time you can get. I was kind of turned off by the idea of a whole movie taking place on a ship.That's why I was rather pleasantly surprised to see that it also took place on an island. I really do love the atmosphere this creates. Everything comes off as so authentic and you really just get a great sense of fun with these parts. I was kind of surprised at how violent this movie got. This actually showed some pretty graphic depiction of blood, a rarity back then. I still love how we focus on everyone's individual stories. As a history buff, it's always nice to learn more about significant historical events and I don't recall this from history class. Clark Gable was against being in a movie without romance although some of the crew men has some cute little relationships with the natives. ***1/2

1787. HMS Bounty sets sail from England for Tahiti in the South Pacific. Her First Lieutenant is Fletcher Christian, an officer who cares about the welfare of his men. Her captain, Captain Bligh, on the other hand, drives his men mercilessly and punishes them for the most insignificant thing, to the point of manufacturing infractions. Bligh becomes universally hated by the crew and a confrontation with Christian appears inevitable...Decent telling of the (true) story of the Bounty. The sailing scenes are quite authentic and you get a good feel for what life at sea must have been like in the late-1700s. Good work by Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh - he captured the menace and maliciousness of Bligh very well. Clark Gable is fine as Christian, though at times maybe a bit too cavalier and cocky to be naval officer.Not great though. The story does feel a bit dry at times and is fairly conventionally told. I much preferred the 1984 version starring Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson. (I haven't yet seen the 1962 version starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard).Won the 1936 Best Picture Oscar.

If was to sum up Mutiny on the Bounty it would be 'immensely satisfying'. The actual build up to the mutiny itself is just so immense. Charles Laughton is an absolute beast as Captain William Bligh, a cruel sadist with no reverence for his crew, even more so due to his prejudice against convicts. I can't stress just how much I love this performance. Shivers go down my back at any of his many outbursts ("Chriiiiiistian!"). For me this is the ultimate love to hate character that when he finally gets his comeuppance after subjecting his crew to overworking, lashings and other mistreatments, it's one of the most satisfying movie moments ever. Just like the crew, you grow to hate this character with a passion. On a personal level I can see many of my old school teachers in Bligh. OK they weren't that sadist but his harsh nature gives me déjà vu of my school days. Bligh is shown however to have a human side though. He does have a friendship with the King of Thatti, the only person who can convince Bligh to be less harsh. Their interactions are the only time in the film Bligh is shown to have a softer side. There's just something about angry ship captains which make for such memorable characters (Captain Ahab, Captain Queeg, James Cagney in Mister Roberts).Of course there is also The King himself: Clark Gable as Fletcher Christian - A figure you would be glad to have as a captain, stern but fair and a man you would happily salute and shout "yes sir!" at. He's the humanitarian saving grace for a crew ravaged at the hand of Captain Bligh. Like Laughton, the hairs on my back rise at any of his outbursts throughout the film ("I call ship's company to bare witness, you killed him!"). Supposedly the two intensely disliked each other possibly due in part to Gable winning the Oscar for Best Actor the year before for It Happened One Night over Laughton's performance in The Barretts of Wimpole Street. This makes the seething hatred between the two characters feels more real making Mutiny on the Bounty a movie of two powerhouse performances. This was Gable's first role in a period film and he fits well into the historical period. Likewise I've never thought much or Franchot Tone as an actor but he's very good as Rodger Byam, an idealist seaman who has to make difficult decisions between his loyalty to the navy and tyranny of Captain Bligh.Then there are the scenes on the Island Tahati. These where filmed on location and are as romantic as it gets. Tahati seems like a world too good to be true; a tropical drug shop of feast, song and sleep. A seemingly care free society in which the inhabitants don't even know about the concept of money. It's such a release after the tyranny experienced on board The Bounty, well until we have to return to the ship that is - no wonder a mutiny takes place. Even with the production code in effect, the scenes on the island are still very exotic and it's defiantly implied Christian and native girl played by Mamo Clark had sex. Shirtless Clark Gable, beautiful exotic women, tropical island paradise, what more do you want? Although I do have to ask; were there really natives who had relations this good with the British Empire?The life size recreation of The Bounty pushes the boundaries of set design at the time. From a visual standpoint the movie excels in the realism department. Likewise the rousing musical score unleashes the imagination of your inner schoolboy. Oh and did I mention James Cagney is in this film; yep he's in there for a brief second. Just when I thought this movie couldn't get any better.In defence of the film for being historical inaccurate; this is a movie, a work of fiction, not a documentary (although I highly recommend 1984's The Bounty, which tells the story with Bligh being the hero and Christian as the villain). Besides how can we ever truly be sure what happened aboard that ship 200 years ago? Regardless of what really happened, I find the tale of The Bounty is a story of great fascination and one which really sparks the imagination. Mutiny on the Bounty is the seafaring movie all seafaring movies are measured against.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios' Best Picture till date.HMS Bounty is all set to sail from Portsmouth to Tahiti lead by Captain Bligh. The ship is need for a few workers and everyone is intimidated when they get to know the ship will sail under the command of Captain William Bligh. Captain Bligh, played by Charles Laughton, is a ruthless man who doesn't share a camaraderie with the crew as Captain Fletcher, played by Clark Gable, does. The conflict starts when Captain Bligh punishes a man to get on top of the ship despite the inclement weather in the sea. The captain-crew relation further strains when the workers are ill-treated by the Captain and those loyal to him. The mutineers, lead by Captain Fletcher, jettison Captain Bligh and those loyal to him and they carry on their voyage to Tahiti. Captain Bligh and his acolytes venture the sea, and after more than a month of starvation with nothing but water in the vicinity, the emaciated men reach shore. Captain Fletcher and his men reach Tahiti, trade with the local people, make settlements and even marry the women of the country. In the meanwhile, Captain Bligh and his men get aboard another ship and are on a pursuit to incarcerate Captain Fletcher and the mutineers and bring them to the book in England. Captain Fletcher and his men spot the ship when it's a more than a day's sail away and flee from Tahiti. Captain Byam and a few men who are neutral on the mutiny wish to stay back only to be taken to England for prosecution. The men are sentenced to Capital punishment. Captain Byam is proved not guilty and is promoted in rank. Fletcher and his men inhabit a deserted island.Charles Laughton portrays Captain Bligh as a tyrant, care-for-nothing, petulant captain who expects to be revered and feared by his crew. Never does he grin nor smile and carries a straight-face throughout the movie. Charles Laughton has made Captain Bligh one of the greatest on-screen villains with ease. Clark Gable and Franchot Tone have performed really well.A true epic that is far ahead of its times by several "nautical miles".