![Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice Volume 2 (BD) [Blu-ray]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61euwoO4j+L._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
![Videodrome (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Bl3gQLdhL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
![Audie Murphy Collection [The Duel at Silver Creek/Ride a Crooked Trail/No Name on the Bullet] [Blu-ray]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71A69SEtq1L._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
As much as a good cup of tea (or brandy), the “tut tut” admonition that a fellow member of the club was “going native” was a mainstay of the British Empire. Must keep your distance from the “native classes,” you understand, which, I would joke with my British friends, included Americans, since the W.O.G.s began, not only at Calais but also at Land’s End.
I first read “Mutiny on the Bounty” before I began a list of books read, that is, before 1962. I read the 1932 version of this story, by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall. Don’t remember much, with the main takeaway being that Captain Bligh was the personification of cruelty, stupidity and pig-headedness. At the beginning of this movie the credits indicate the movie is based on Richard Hough’s account, “Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian,” which was published in 1972. Hough’s book presents Bligh in a more favorable light, which is also reflected in the movie, though the cruelty, stupidity and pig-headedness are still there.
“The Bounty” was directed by Roger Donaldson and released in 1984. Two of the bigger stars of Hollywood play the major roles. Anthony Hopkins, whom I associate with in his role as Hannibal Lector in “Silence of the Lambs” (as well as sequels), plays Lt. William Bligh. Mel Gibson, whom I associate with in his role as Lt. Col. Hal Moore in “We Were Soldiers,” plays Fletcher Christian.
On December 23, 1787, the HMS Bounty left Plymouth, with a crew of 40 plus, bound for Tahiti. There mission was to pick up breadfruit trees and transport them to Jamacia, hopefully fulfilling the theory they’d be useful in feeding the slaves. Bligh decides to take the opportunity to circumnavigate the globe, which involves forcing a passage around frequently stormy Cape Horn. They tried for 31 days, with some truly dramatic cinematography of what that was like. (I’d love to know how that was filmed.) They give up, turn around, go pass Cape Hope and across the Indian Ocean to reach Tahiti.
Ah, the bare breasts. Admittedly, I am gawking a bit, so imagine if one had left stuffy ol’ England and been cramped on a boat with only men for 3-5 months. There are 10-20 women in the movie, who are not a heavy burden on the wardrobe budget, all topless, and the amazing thing to me is that their breasts were all identical! (Well, close enough for government work.) Was this a casting requirement? Anyhow, there was a LOT on incentive to “go native.” Most of the crew do, including Fletcher Christian, who caught the eye of the chief’s daughter. They are even willing to acquire some painful tattoos. Lt. Bligh was graciously provided an opportunity with the chief’s wife but apparently only managed to maintain a stiff upper lip.
Soon Bligh decided to beat a retreat out of paradise, dragging the reluctant crew with him. Mix in the aforementioned cruelty, the level of dissatisfaction reached the point of open mutiny. The amazing thing is that no one was killed during the revolt; in fact, per the movie, Christian insisted that Bligh not be killed. The movie and book(s) are based on true events, with numerous certainties. Christian and his mutineers made it to Pitcairn Island, one of the most remote places on earth, where they stayed undetected for 18 years, and only one survived that length of time. Bligh and the loyalist sailed thousands of miles in an open boat, reaching present-day Indonesia and eventually, England, where he was exonerated in a court martial.
Today Pitcairn is the only British colony in the Pacific, with 47 permanent residents and projections that it will be de-populated in the next couple of decades. The “mark of Cain” seems to be on the island. I highly recommend a book the Vine program offered me for review, which I did in 2009: “Lost Paradise: From Mutiny on the Bounty to a Modern-Day Legacy of Sexual Mayhem, the Dark Secrets of Pitcairn Island Revealed,” by Kathy Marks. I provided a 4-star rating to Marks’ book and will provide 5-stars for the movie, “The Bounty.”
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
| Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
|
DVD
September 12, 2011 "Please retry" | — | 1 | $7.79 | $8.70 |
|
DVD
May 17, 2019 "Please retry" | — | 1 | $10.92 | $14.92 |
Watch Instantly with 
| Rent | Buy |
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
Frequently bought together
$13.71
Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16
In Stock
+
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
