![]() The rest of the cast is not so well known, but they are all excellent. Two film giants, Laurence Olivier and James Fox, make cameo appearances as Admiral Hood and Captain Greenham, respectively, members of the Court Martial that tries Bligh on his return to Britain. Of course, none of these actors were famous yet when they performed in The Bounty. And those characters are brought to life by an amazingly strong cast - Anthony Hopkins (an Oscar for Silence of the Lambs) as William Bligh, Mel Gibson (an Oscar for directing Braveheart) as Fletcher Christian, Daniel Day-Lewis (an Oscar for My Left Foot) as John Fryer, and Liam Neeson (nominated for an Oscar for Schindler's List) as Churchill. His work shows in the complex, fully realized characters that are the center of this story. The screenplay was written by Robert Bolt, who also wrote such classics as Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, A Man for All Seasons, and Ryan's Daughter. ![]() It is based on Hough's book, perhaps the best account of the mutiny. It is on Hough's book that The Bounty is based. In Captain Bligh and Mister Christian: The Men and the Mutiny (1972), Richard Hough presented a more balanced account of the famous mutiny that is meticulously researched and shows keen psychological insight into the characters of the men involved. The actual story is not so black and white. These earlier movies were based on the books by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall that portrayed the Bounty's commander, William Bligh, as a brutal disciplinarian and the second in command, Fletcher Christian, as a hero. ![]() The 1962 production remains controversial, as does Marlon Brando's affected turn as Christian. Nearly thirty years passed before another movie attempted the story. That was followed only two years later by the first American try with Charles Laughton in a tour-de-force performance as a sadistic Captain Bligh. The Aussies took another shot at filming the Bounty mutiny in 1933, providing a young Errol Flynn (as Fletcher Christian) with his first movie role. It started with an Australian silent movie in 1916. Not only is the story of Bligh and Christian the most famous mutiny in history, it is also the most filmed. William Bligh: And I, sir, am *Commander*! By law! I am the first! Do you understand? God damn your hide! And now you may dismiss, sir! William Bligh: God damn your eyes, man! You turned your back on me! William Bligh: You will suffer my correction whenever you're at fault, sir! John Fryer: Must I suffer this before the men? William Bligh: Your "years at sea"? Good Lord, man! If I'd known your nature, I would not have accepted you as boatswain of a river barge. William Bligh: I will dismiss when I have done with you, sir. Christian, who will now act as executive second in command, with the rank of Acting Second Lieutenant. I mean to make good use of every hour of sailing time, and to assist me in this, I am replacing Mr. William Bligh: We are still faced with a long, hard voyage.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |