When we already have the rollicking adventure of the 30s Mutiny On The Bounty and the Technicolor remake of the 60s, what is the point of this version?
To humanize Bligh? Fail. I had more sympathy for Laughton's drive, ability and intensity than Hopkins' humorless prig and weak leadership. I would have been happy to see Bligh thrown overboard.
To shed light on Fletcher Christian's motivation? At least Gable's portrayal had some manly nobility, historically accurate or no. Gibson is just a blank-faced simpleton and crybaby. I neither sympathized with him, nor identified with his choices. The only time his Christian comes alive is when he's shouting, ''I am in hell," during the mutiny. Gibson does ''maniacal intensity" better than anyone in movie history, frankly.
Nobody in this movie can hold a candle to vastly under-rated Franchot Tone. Especially not smirkingly obnoxious Daniel Day-Lewis. In any real-life situation, Liam Neeson's character would have shot His Left Foot off during the mutiny out of sheer spite.
The film spends far too much time in Tahiti. The gratuitous booby shots don't add anything except running time to already overly long movie.
The most impressive performance is by Wi Kuki Kaa as King Tynah. When his daughter chooses to go with Fletcher, my heart breaks for him. He's the only actor who makes me feel anything in this movie.
Vangelis' mournful score holds up rather well, particularly in the Third Act, where he captures the doom hanging over the mutineers. Neither the film-maker nor the composer were trying to sell a happy ending. It's unfortunate they were unable to properly build toward that inevitability in the first two acts.
To humanize Bligh? Fail. I had more sympathy for Laughton's drive, ability and intensity than Hopkins' humorless prig and weak leadership. I would have been happy to see Bligh thrown overboard.
To shed light on Fletcher Christian's motivation? At least Gable's portrayal had some manly nobility, historically accurate or no. Gibson is just a blank-faced simpleton and crybaby. I neither sympathized with him, nor identified with his choices. The only time his Christian comes alive is when he's shouting, ''I am in hell," during the mutiny. Gibson does ''maniacal intensity" better than anyone in movie history, frankly.
Nobody in this movie can hold a candle to vastly under-rated Franchot Tone. Especially not smirkingly obnoxious Daniel Day-Lewis. In any real-life situation, Liam Neeson's character would have shot His Left Foot off during the mutiny out of sheer spite.
The film spends far too much time in Tahiti. The gratuitous booby shots don't add anything except running time to already overly long movie.
The most impressive performance is by Wi Kuki Kaa as King Tynah. When his daughter chooses to go with Fletcher, my heart breaks for him. He's the only actor who makes me feel anything in this movie.
Vangelis' mournful score holds up rather well, particularly in the Third Act, where he captures the doom hanging over the mutineers. Neither the film-maker nor the composer were trying to sell a happy ending. It's unfortunate they were unable to properly build toward that inevitability in the first two acts.