Rent The Bounty (1984)

Great Adventure Worthy of Rediscovery - The Bounty review by GI

Big action adventure film based on the notorious mutiny that occurred in 1789. This is the third big film based on these events (the previous ones from 1935 and 1962 are both worth checking out) and here the attempt is to bring the story closer to the actual events. Anthony Hopkins gives a first rate performance as William Bligh, the commander of HMS Bounty, sent to Tahiti to trade with the natives for bread fruit. He asks his good friend Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) to be one of his officers and hopes to circumnavigate the globe on the journey. But plagued with bad weather the ship eventually arrives in Tahiti where Bligh unwisely allows the crew to spend several months ashore. The sexual freedom and relaxed life contrasts strongly with the harsh discipline of naval life and tired of the lackadaisical attitudes of his men Bligh sets sail for home intent on getting his crew back to being seamen. But Christian and other's miss the native women they have left behind and mutiny setting Bligh and those loyal to him adrift. The previous big budget films make the story a good guy (Christian)/bad guy (Bligh) narrative whereas the truth was far more complicated and this film tries to rebalance the story to show Christian was far more an opportunist and selfish than usually depicted with Bligh more a man to whom duty and law was paramount but he was fair and reasonable. Unfortunately the film doesn't quite go far enough here but that aside it's a really entertaining adventure with a first rate cast that includes Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox, Liam Neeson, Phil Davis, Daniel Day-Lewis, Bernard Hill and others. Hopkins is especially good here as the ambitious officer who tries to hold his ship together against the lures of sex and paradise. This is a film that is well worth seeking out with a young Gibson setting his stall as a major star.

Bounty - Not for those with Hearing Loss! - The Bounty review by CS

A quality film that is as good as the reviews.  Unfortunately there are no subtitles,  which means that if you do have a hearing loss you will find it very difficult to watch, as the film requires a strong understanding of dialogue. Without words most of the film is meaningless.

So sadly for me this was a wasted rental as I could not watch it without subtitles having a hearing loss myself.

What a cast! - The Bounty review by JD

1984, a year when Gibson, Hopkins and Daniel Day-Lewis were rising stars, with Edward Fox, Bernard Hill as supporting cast and John Sessions I think has one line. What an incredible display of talent. Liam Neeson is dreadful, clearly he found himself more suited to heroic roles later. The leads however are awesome. The plot is gripping, the depiction of the storms is transfixing. Even the portrayal of disease is utterly believable. The fact of it being true is even more compelling.