|
 |
Mutiny on the Bounty
|
by MGM (Video & DVD)
Sales Rank: 52218
Price: $19.98
|
|
|
The highlight of <I>Mutiny on the Bounty</I> is undoubtedly Charles Laughton's bracingly evil performance as Captain Bligh, a man so mean that he insists on having a dead sailor flogged. Bligh pushes his men beyond physical endurance, slashes their rations for his own profit, and drastically cuts down their frolicking time with scantily clad Tahitians. Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for arrives: first mate Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) hits his limit and all hell breaks loose. Gable holds doggedly onto his American accent through the entire movie, but in a way it makes Christian come off as a Regular Guy in opposition to Bligh's institutionalized cruelty. Once you get past the hurdle of his diphthongs, Gable makes an excellent Fletcher Christian--strong, fair, and noble, and he effectively conveys the struggle of a man who loathes the idea of mutiny but can't stand see his men mistreated. And Charles Laughton is just superb. His Bligh is thoroughly appalling, yes, but it's far from a one-note performance--when he is cast adrift on the open sea in a lifeboat and tries to make an impossible journey to land, you can't help but root for him. <I>Mutiny on the Bounty</I> won the 1935 Academy Award for Best Picture and picked up a Leading Actor nomination for each of its male leads. Check it out or be tied to the mizzenmast. <I>--Ali Davis</I>
Viewer Reviews
The story of mutiny on HMS Bounty has been told and retold many times. It may be classified as an allegory for what power and corruption can generate (think American Revolution). When people are pushed too far, either in reality or in their own mind, the result is backlash, such as occurred on HMS Bounty. There have been many theatrical versions of MOTB from the first in 1916 to the last Gibson-Hopkins version in 1984. The most notable were the 1962 Marlon Brando and the 1935 Clark Gable versions. Of all, the most memorabe one was the 1935 run. The acting was top-notch and showed a compassionate Fletcher Christian torn between duty and human responsibility culminating in the mutiny in the 1780s. On the flip side was the superb rendition of Captain William Bligh by the indomitable Charles Laughton, one of the greatest actors ever to grace stage and screen. Like a politician, Laughton displays a man who is doing everything to insure his future comfort at whatever expense to his conscience or to others. He is totally self-centered with little regard for his men and possesses a somewhat sadistic flair. The entire film is enjoyable from beginning to end and draws the viewer in with it. Now for the 2-star presentation! It appears that this was a straight transfer from a previously produced VHS Print. One wishes that Criterion could have gotten into the act since they do not usually put out a product unless it has been pain-stakingly restored with images that are clear and sharp as the original film was (Hint to major studios releasing their films). Overall, however, the rating remains 10 on a one-ten scale for one of the finest motion picturs ever produced.
Back To Top
|
Mutiny on the Bounty
Available from Amazon
|
|
NOTICE: All product prices, availability, and specifications
are subject to verification by their respective retailers.
Copyright © 2009, Dominant Systems Corporation
info@HowlingVideo.com
Privacy Policy
Last Modified : 1-8-2009
|
