The bountyGreat leaders lead by accepting the basic truth that they do not lead themselves alone, that they are but the head of a team; and a head can only control the body by working in tandem with it, not in spite of it. This is one of the fundamental truths of leadership which Lieutenant William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) suffers to learn in his difficult command of the HMS Bounty in the similarly named film, The Bounty. It is a lesson hard in coming, and one which comes following the mutiny led by his one-time friend and captain's mate, Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson), evidenced during a naval inquisition as he recalls the events which led to the loss of his ship.
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The Bounty is based on true events, adapted for the screen from the book by Richard Hough, titled "Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian", detailing the infamous mutiny in April 1789 on the Pacific Ocean, as well as other historical accounts. It is also a part of a series of cinematic adaptations of the mutiny, and the events which led up to and followed it. The story is recalled by Bligh to the admiralty during the preceding to determine the extent to which he was culpable for the Bounty's loss, a hearing presided over by Admiral Hood (Lawrence Olivier). His account comes in the form of the ship's log, to which Bligh recorded his ostensibly objective account of the events by routine. It is also, in some ways, his version of a diary. Although he is not emotional in his documentation, the log represents his way of connecting his dominion over the crew to his disconnected leadership, his sole outlet of conveying the understated anxieties weighing on him. Bligh is a stern man, and one who is initially arrogant to believe his attempts to cut corners by circumnavigating the Earth for the purpose of obtaining breadfruit from Tahiti to plant in Jamaica are without peril, proven when he knowingly attempts to traverse around Cape Horn, a devastating miscalculation. When challenged in his leadership, even by his sailing master, John Fryer (Daniel Day-Lewis), he bites back, intolerant of any dissension, meeting it with defensiveness and reproach. Bligh reveals himself to be both knowledgeable and brave, resourceful and determined; but while these are admirable qualities, they prove to be insufficient for him as a leader. On the other hand, Fletcher Christian exhibits the ability to listen to the men of the ship suffering from the stress aboard the vessel, knowing when to de-escalate trouble in the interest of morale. In short, Christian does not break when he bends, whereas Bligh is adamant to resist to the point of being intolerant. And that is the true root of the inevitable mutiny.
Christian and Bligh's first encounter is warm and jovial, and reflects that these men are friends; it is a far cry from their parting words as Bligh boards the small raft with the other officers to be set adrift as Christian and the other mutineers return to Tahiti. For while their mission was a simple one of obtaining breadfruit from the Tahitians--yet exploiting them in the process, offering cheap trinkets for valuable food stuffs--Christian becomes enamored with an island princess named Mauatua (Tevaite Vernette). Christian enjoys the halcyon, verdant island paradise, and his love for Mauatua is an anchor which keeps his heart with her. There is the sense that Bligh resents the freedom through which Christian can live, and spends his time on the island largely in his quarters, sweating in the heat, avoiding debasing himself in what he considers a "degenerate" locale. It is here that Bligh exhibits his frustration, and takes his anger out on Christian, whom he orders around with fury and rage. For Bligh, his anxiety is fueled by the sense that he has lost control, be it over seemingly inconsequential affairs, or even over more serious infractions, such as when a few men abandon the ship to live on the island. Christian loses his faith in the merits of the British Navy, as he sees Bligh as emblematic of a harsh and unfeeling union, prepared to savagely whip the deserters while the overwrought native women look on in agony, wounding their scalps in sympathetic suffering. And as Bligh continues to berate and humiliate Christian, it only fuels his first mate's bitterness and sorrow for having to abandon Mauatua and his unborn child, setting the stage for his rebellion.
Even though Christian and Bligh act as contemporaries at the onset, suggesting they might be closer in age, Bligh appears much older than Christian, suggesting that they represent two different generations. In essence, Bligh represents an older guard, one who is settled with the idea of effectively grifting the "savages" for their breadfruit to use as cheap food for slaves elsewhere in the British Empire, and one which is rigid and inflexible in bending the traditions established in the name of England, ones which seem downright anachronistic amid the lush and humid South Pacific. Christian, while not an unwise man, does find he has much to learn about seamanship and the harsh realities of leading a vessel, try as he might, and discovers following the mutiny that if a crew is apt to get their way from one mutiny, they're likely to make the same effort when something else fails to go their way. Following the mutiny, Christian also keeps a log, not unlike Bligh, and writes with a mixture of regret and resignation, suggesting he begins to understand a little more of Bligh's manner by being thrust into his role. As the proceedings take place for Bligh, one presumes that as he reflects on his actions, he too considers where his missteps were and understands Christian a bit more in turn. The Bounty largely concerns itself with the themes of leadership and friendship, and the challenges which come when those two elements are cast at odds with one another.
Recommended for: Fans of a historical dramatization and period piece, with naval action and tropical locales. The beautiful vistas are set to the music of Vangelis' synthesized score, giving the setting a dreamy and ethereal quality.
Christian and Bligh's first encounter is warm and jovial, and reflects that these men are friends; it is a far cry from their parting words as Bligh boards the small raft with the other officers to be set adrift as Christian and the other mutineers return to Tahiti. For while their mission was a simple one of obtaining breadfruit from the Tahitians--yet exploiting them in the process, offering cheap trinkets for valuable food stuffs--Christian becomes enamored with an island princess named Mauatua (Tevaite Vernette). Christian enjoys the halcyon, verdant island paradise, and his love for Mauatua is an anchor which keeps his heart with her. There is the sense that Bligh resents the freedom through which Christian can live, and spends his time on the island largely in his quarters, sweating in the heat, avoiding debasing himself in what he considers a "degenerate" locale. It is here that Bligh exhibits his frustration, and takes his anger out on Christian, whom he orders around with fury and rage. For Bligh, his anxiety is fueled by the sense that he has lost control, be it over seemingly inconsequential affairs, or even over more serious infractions, such as when a few men abandon the ship to live on the island. Christian loses his faith in the merits of the British Navy, as he sees Bligh as emblematic of a harsh and unfeeling union, prepared to savagely whip the deserters while the overwrought native women look on in agony, wounding their scalps in sympathetic suffering. And as Bligh continues to berate and humiliate Christian, it only fuels his first mate's bitterness and sorrow for having to abandon Mauatua and his unborn child, setting the stage for his rebellion.
Even though Christian and Bligh act as contemporaries at the onset, suggesting they might be closer in age, Bligh appears much older than Christian, suggesting that they represent two different generations. In essence, Bligh represents an older guard, one who is settled with the idea of effectively grifting the "savages" for their breadfruit to use as cheap food for slaves elsewhere in the British Empire, and one which is rigid and inflexible in bending the traditions established in the name of England, ones which seem downright anachronistic amid the lush and humid South Pacific. Christian, while not an unwise man, does find he has much to learn about seamanship and the harsh realities of leading a vessel, try as he might, and discovers following the mutiny that if a crew is apt to get their way from one mutiny, they're likely to make the same effort when something else fails to go their way. Following the mutiny, Christian also keeps a log, not unlike Bligh, and writes with a mixture of regret and resignation, suggesting he begins to understand a little more of Bligh's manner by being thrust into his role. As the proceedings take place for Bligh, one presumes that as he reflects on his actions, he too considers where his missteps were and understands Christian a bit more in turn. The Bounty largely concerns itself with the themes of leadership and friendship, and the challenges which come when those two elements are cast at odds with one another.
Recommended for: Fans of a historical dramatization and period piece, with naval action and tropical locales. The beautiful vistas are set to the music of Vangelis' synthesized score, giving the setting a dreamy and ethereal quality.