Sadly Over-hyped

best movie i've ever seen.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

This 1962 remake of "Mutiny On the Bounty," is not in the same league of greatness as the 1935 version. That film has a more coherent narrative, is quite gripping and Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh is the film's best performance. Trevor Howard is perfectly OK in the 1962 version as Bligh but his rendition can't hold a candle to Laughton's. Having said that, Marlon Brando is a far better Fletcher Christian than Clark Gable. Brando actually creates a character and gives probably the best performance in the movie. "Mutiny on the Bounty" benefits from having lavish photography and a film of this kind needed to be made on an extravagant scale. However, a film that has good production values doesn't guarantee satisfactory results and it is no wonder that this film wasn't very successful upon release. The scenes involving the various bouts of sadism and eventual rebellion are very capably handled. There was even some tension as some of the crew members began to rebel against Bligh's tyranny. I thought the running time to be far too long. About 40 minutes should have been edited from the final cut. The film was beset with problems from pre- production onwards. Brando had original director Carol Reed fired early on but Lewis Milestone certainly had his work cut out for him. The fact that the screenplay kept being changed during production, weakens the narrative as it loses all sense of direction after a while. The best portion of the film is during aboard the Bounty. One of the last films Marlon Brando made whilst his name meant anything at the box office or in the acting industry. His decline had begun.

Sorry folks. This movie was a bomb when it first came out and remains so. There is no comparison between Brando and Gable. Brando foppish portrayal of Christian is laughable. So too is his romance with the Tahiti girl. If there was a mutiny and you were on the ship who would you follow, Gable or Brando? Gable is a man's man and quite capable of handling issues on board. He is also one to step aside from if he gets upset at you. In regard to Howard's portrayal of Bligh again it holds no candle to Laughton's. Laughton's portrayal is the one people copy when doing an imitation of Bligh, not Howards. Laughton also seem to have a perverse joy in handling out punishment. This is mentioned in both films but Laughton is better at portraying it. The first Bounty also shows Bligh's trip from the Bounty on the long boat. This gives you some idea of what kind of sailor he was during the ordeal. In the 1962 version one moment they are in the boat the next Bligh is arriving at the Admiralty fresh as a daisy. The Gable/Laughton version was a great film when first made, it is still a great film. 50 years from now it will be so also. In regards to the romance between Brando and the native girl ( excuse me for forgetting her name) I don't know who is prettier, her or Brando.

Mutiny on the Bounty was the Pirates of the Caribbean or Kong Skull Island of the 1960s. This was the big budget spectacle of that era. The spectacle was not limited to the special effects, cheap thrills or long shots of grand vistas like in the mediocre films of today. Watching and listening to Trevor Howard's glorious acting and Marlon Brando's body language and the two thespians running circles around each other is a part of the package. Actors like them do not exist anymore.A British expedition to gather breadfruit from Tahiti runs into trouble due to the extreme cruelty of Captain Bligh (played by Trevor Howard). But Christian Fletcher (Brando) keeps his own and the crew's temper at bay until they reach Tahiti. But things fall apart on the way back and the crew led by Christian stages a mutiny against Captain Fletcher.The scenes in the Tahitian island are worth their weight in gold. The mating dance that the Tahitian women put up for the new arrivals was sexy as hell. I loved the great overhead pan shots that move from the dancing Tahitian women to the new arrivals. The fishing scene where the Tahitian women are gathered in a circle and the ship's crew runs at them was beautiful.Parts of the film were directed by the great Carol Reed before he left due to differences with Brando. I think Brando got Kubrick fired from One Eyed Jacks.Trevor Howard upstages Brando in some scenes. He certainly has some of the best dialogs. But Brando's brooding presence and body language cannot be ignored. He looked like a petulant child in the scene where he finally takes on Captain Bligh. Tarita who later became Brando's real life wife was very sexy. Hugh Griffith and Richard Harris played two of the hapless sailors who are constantly punished by Captain Bligh. They might have had too much make up on. Everyone seemed a little over made up at times. And I could tell that some of the scenes were shot in a studio with fake sets.But I really enjoyed the film though reviews and trivia on IMDb suggest that the film wasn't too well received when it first came out. People had issues with Brando's British accent. It is really long at almost three hours. But the frequent and beautiful shots of the sea interwoven into the tense drama makes this one a real classic for me. The film looks really good on Blu-ray.(8/10)

Mutiny on the Bounty (1962): Dir: Lewis Milestone / Cast: Marlon Brando, Trevor Howard, Richard Harris, Hugh Griffith, Richard Haydn: Arriving upon the dawn of the release of the extreme. There are scenes of brutality including whippings that serve the theme of discipline. A Navy crew is on a mission for His Majesty and highlighted with a battle of wits between a captain and first officer. Trevor Howard plays the Captain and the film isn't so much about the mission as it is his methods of completing it. He orders unbearable punishment upon any form of disobedience. Marlon Brando plays the first officer who retaliates when Howard refuses a prisoner the right to drink fresh water. Effective setup with a humorous pause at an island but the conclusion is too abrupt and loose. Directed by Lewis Milestone who does a great job at capturing realism as well as present a grand look at the era. He is also backed by a massive production that serves the film faithfully. First rate performance by Howard who steals the film with his up rise and eventual fall, while Brando holds strong as the counter in favor of fair practice. The downside is the supporting roles featuring actors such as Richard Harris and Hugh Griffith who are flat and contain about as much personality as a boat paddle. It regards force and discipline in this stunning visual achievement. Score: 8 / 10