Plot summary

The film is based on the real life story of Lieutenant William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins), against whom a mutiny is led by Master's mate Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson). This version follows both the efforts of Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) to get his men beyond the reach of British punishment, and the epic voyage of Captain Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) to get his loyalists safely to the Dutch East Indies in a tiny longboat.Mission Setting out from Britain in December 1787 for the Pacific island of Tahiti to gather breadfruit pods for transplantation in the Caribbean as slave fodder, the Bounty sailed west to round the tip of South America, but failed, due to harsh weather, and had to take the longer eastern route. Finally arriving in Tahiti in October 1788, Bligh found that due to the delays the wind was against him for a quick return journey, so he decided to stay on the island for four months longer than originally planned. In that time, it would be fair to say that ship discipline became problematic, and many of the crew developed a taste for the easy pleasures that island life afforded, making the relation with their Captain tense. Bligh, at the same time, constantly subjected the crew to pressure, eventually reaching a breaking point.Bligh Bligh is not shown as a cruel tyrant, but instead is seen as a traditional British naval captain and a man of his times. The worst acts of Bligh are compared with those of the crew, and is ultimately portrayed as a man who takes his sense of discipline and command too far, exceeding the limits of the ship's company; while at the same time he protected his loyal non-mutineers, when he guides their overcrowded boat to safety without any firearms or navigational equipment.Crew The crew is portrayed in a different light than the previous films. They are shown as a group of typical 18th-century sailors-a much more "rough and tumble" group, some of whom use the "might-is-right" principle to impose a hierarchy of sorts below decks. Their motivations in this film were not as noble as in the other two films. Previous films portrayed the crew's desire for freedom from Bligh's oppressive behavior; in this version of the story the desire to return to Tahiti is shown to be one of the primary motivations behind the mutiny. Also, they are shown as having more responsibility than they did in the other versions of the event.Fletcher Christian Fletcher Christian is a much more complex character than in prior films. He and Bligh are at first friends, and Bligh even asks him to sail for a second time with him. But both men turn against each other over the course of the events. Matters become worse when the ship leaves Tahiti, as Fletcher is forced to leave his wife Mauatua behind. The film is based on the real life story of Lieutenant William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins), against whom a mutiny is led by Master's mate Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson). This version follows both the efforts of Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) to get his men beyond the reach of British punishment, and the epic voyage of Captain Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) to get his loyalists safely to the Dutch East Indies in a tiny longboat.Mission Setting out from Britain in December 1787 for the Pacific island of Tahiti to gather breadfruit pods for transplantation in the Caribbean as slave fodder, the Bounty sailed west to round the tip of South America, but failed, due to harsh weather, and had to take the longer eastern route. Finally arriving in Tahiti in October 1788, Bligh found that due to the delays the wind was against him for a quick return journey, so he decided to stay on the island for four months longer than originally planned. In that time, it would be fair to say that ship discipline became problematic, and many of the crew developed a taste for the easy pleasures that island life afforded, making the relation with their Captain tense. Bligh, at the same time, constantly subjected the crew to pressure, eventually reaching a breaking point.Bligh Bligh is not shown as a cruel tyrant, but instead is seen as a traditional British naval captain and a man of his times. The worst acts of Bligh are compared with those of the crew, and is ultimately portrayed as a man who takes his sense of discipline and command too far, exceeding the limits of the ship's company; while at the same time he protected his loyal non-mutineers, when he guides their overcrowded boat to safety without any firearms or navigational equipment.Crew The crew is portrayed in a different light than the previous films. They are shown as a group of typical 18th-century sailors-a much more "rough and tumble" group, some of whom use the "might-is-right" principle to impose a hierarchy of sorts below decks. Their motivations in this film were not as noble as in the other two films. Previous films portrayed the crew's desire for freedom from Bligh's oppressive behavior; in this version of the story the desire to return to Tahiti is shown to be one of the primary motivations behind the mutiny. Also, they are shown as having more responsibility than they did in the other versions of the event.Fletcher Christian Fletcher Christian is a much more complex character than in prior films. He and Bligh are at first friends, and Bligh even asks him to sail for a second time with him. But both men turn against each other over the course of the events. Matters become worse when the ship leaves Tahiti, as Fletcher is forced to leave his wife Mauatua behind. Christian's Tahitian wife is given as more of a reason that Fletcher led the mutiny than before. Fletcher shows regret over one of his decisions; he tells another mutineer that he wished he had supplied Bligh with muskets before setting him adrift.The Bounty leaves Tahiti The resumption of naval discipline, and a Bligh who has slowly turned into a tyrant not willing to tolerate any disobedience whatsoever, creates an atmosphere of tension and violence. Corporal punishment is meted out for the slightest offense. Bligh insists that the boat is dirty and orders the crew to clean up several times a day. Many of the men, including Christian, are singled out for severe, even hysterical tongue-lashings by Bligh. His intention to round Cape Horn once again in attempts to circumnavigate the globe pushes the crew to the breaking point.The mutiny Playing on Christian's obvious resentment against Bligh's treatment of both him and the men, the more militant members of the crew finally persuade Christian to take control of the ship. Bligh is roused from his bed and arrested, along with those considered loyal to him, and all of them are forced into the ship's launch, minimally supplied, and cast adrift. Blissfully happy at their new-found freedom (though Christian feels remorse, and understands the implications of what's been done) they naively sail back to Tahiti to collect their wives, girlfriends, and native friends. King Tynah, however, is shocked by this turn of events. He makes them aware that, as mutineers, their presence on the island could incite King George to declare war against Tahiti and his people. Realising the folly of staying, though some do, they gather supplies and sail away to try to find a safe refuge. Christian pleads with Tynah to allow Mauatua to decide her own destiny. Tynah concedes, and Mauatua chooses the uncertainty of a life with Christian over remaining with her father but without her husband.Bligh's journey Bligh, through courage and excellent seamanship-and also a return of his good character and leadership qualities-successfully manages to reach civilization after a very harrowing journey. One man was killed by natives as the crew stopped for supplies in a hostile island.Final voyage of the Bounty The search for a safe haven is long and seemingly impossible, as they all realize that any pursuing Royal Navy vessels will search all known islands and coastlines to find them. By this point, those that remained on board the Bounty are so frustrated that they are ready to rebel against Christian in order to turn the ship back towards Tahiti. After Christian forces the crew to continue on, they eventually find Pitcairn Island, a place which Christian realizes may not be marked on British maps of the region. Christian notes that his charts indicate that the island was sighted by a sailor named Pitcairn but no landing was made due to the lack of suitable terrain, and that the island's location only was recorded by its latitude; the lack of a precise longitude made its location an unknown and therefore their best hope of avoiding the Royal Navy.As the crew of the Bounty burn the ship to keep it from being found, the judgment of Bligh's court martial is read-Bligh is found to have not been responsible for the loss of the Bounty, and is commended for the voyage of the open launch. Fletcher Christian and his men realize that they will never go back to England.