The Bounty **** (1984, Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox, Daniel Day-Lewis, Bernard Hill, Liam Neeson) – Classic Movie Review 6593

The Bounty (1984) was originally a project for David Lean, who started to work again with screen-writer Robert Bolt on an ambitious two-part movie about the mutiny on the Bounty towards the end of the Seventies. Alas, the project fell apart, but it was recovered finally finally in the early Eighties by producer Dino De Laurentiis.

Robert Bolt’s screenplay is adapted from Richard Hough’s book Captain Bligh and Mr Christian. The excuse for director Roger Donaldson’s 1984 third film bite at the Bounty mutineers seems to be its attempt at a fresh perspective. The script details the parallel quests of Fletcher Christian and Lieutenant Bligh to get their men to safety following the mutiny.

This time sympathy tips over towards the cruel ship’s captain Lieutenant William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins), who is depicted not as a single-faceted, hissable villain but as sexually jealous and insanely obstinate, while Master’s Mate Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) is shown as a petulant amateur and a wayward hero.

The sturdy, resonant performances (particularly from a commanding Hopkins in admittedly the best part), gorgeous Tahiti cinematography by Arthur Ibbetson and Donaldson’s efficient direction make this expensive historical adventure epic a reasonably worthy successor to both the 1935 Mutiny on the Bounty and the 1962 Mutiny on the Bounty.

Also in the sterling cast are Laurence Olivier as Admiral Hood, Edward Fox as Captain Greetham, Daniel Day-Lewis as John Fryer, Bernard Hill as William Cole, Liam Neeson as Seaman Charles Churchill, John Sessions, Dexter Fletcher, Philip [Phil] Davis as Edward Young, Philip Martin Brown, Simon Chandler, Malcolm Terris, Simon Adams, Andrew Wilde, Neil Morrissey, Richard Graham, Jon Gradsby, Brendan Conroy, Barry Dransfield, Steve Fletcher, Jack May, Wi Kuki Kaa, Tevaite Vernette and Sharon Bower.

The Bounty runs 132 minutes, is released by Orion, is produced by Bernard Williams, is scored by Vangelis and designed by John Graysmark.

John Sessions (1953–2020).

RIP John Sessions (1953–2020), who plays Smith, in his second film. He notched up 139 film and TV credits.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6593

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