Review – The Bounty

This time around we’re being treated to Mel Gibson’s Fletcher Christian and Anthony Hopkins’ Captain Bly (with Liam Neeson thrown in for good measure as a surly sailor). It’s a wonder that all the ship-board scenery chewing didn’t end up drowning the entire cast. By the time this version of the classic mutiny drama came out, filmmaking conventions had evolved to the point where it was possible to shoot fairly graphic depictions of nudity (mostly female) among the Tahitians and the brutal violence of shipboard discipline. Plus the cinematography and soundtrack are beautiful. Otherwise what we’ve got here is a simple, straightforward, standard version of one of the low points in British naval history. If you’re looking for a little heart-of-oak drama, you could probably do worse. Mildly amusing