Page 81 - All About History - Issue 34-16

Mutiny on the Bounty

William
Bligh
9 September 1754 –
7 December 1817
Trained in the ways of leadership by
Captain Cook, Bligh’s naval career
spanned decades. Despite mutiny,
rebellion and two courts martial,
he died with his reputation
unblemished, a vice admiral
of the Blue.

HISTORY VS
HOLLYWOOD

What happened when the
mutiny on the Bounty met the
Hollywood dream factory?

Mutiny On
Tasmania. When Purcell refused Bligh’s orders to ship darkened in turn. Bligh and Christian seemed
return to the ship after a disagreement, the captain to clash constantly, with the captain accusing the The Bounty
threatened to withhold the carpenter’s rations until acting lieutenant of coconut theft, among other 1935
he backed down. Less than three months later, wrongs. When a landing at Nomuka ended in Starring: Charles
Laughton (Bligh), Clark
as Bounty continued towards Tahiti, Bligh faced conflict with the natives, Bligh laid the blame
Gable (Christian)
conflict with other members of the crew including at Christian’s feet. Every transgression was met
the ship’s surgeon Thomas Huggan, an indolent with strict sanctions, withheld rations and furious Laughton’s hissable
drunkard who had managed to kill one of the remonstrations, and the once-respectful Christian villain and Gable’s
chiselled heroics
patients in his care. grew resentful and sullen are more
These resentments were as he assessed the mood fairytale
set aside when Bounty “As commotion among his fellow crewmen. than fact.
reached Tahiti on 26 Brooding resentment
October 1788. Here, the broke out on board, was not nearly dramatic Mutiny On
ship was warmly received enough for the filmmakers The Bounty
by chieftains who were the mutineers of 1935 and 1962, who 1962
happy to supply the dreamed up some suitably Starring: Trevor
requested breadfruit plants. and loyalists cinematic conflicts to fuel Howard (Bligh), Marlon
Brando (Christian)
Welcomed ashore by the the mutiny. In the 1935
natives, when the crew’s film, Bligh claps men in Christian is made a
feet touched land, the eventually divided irons and deprives them of martyr and Bligh a
once-disciplined men ran water until Christian finally murderous tyrant as
melodrama
a little wild. Nearly half the into two camps” snaps, while in the 1962 rules the
men, including Christian, remake, the crazed captain waves.
contracted venereal disease kills a man by keelhauling
while on Tahiti. Though Bligh did not indulge, he him and threatens Christian with the noose. With The Bounty
didn’t intervene either, willing to turn a blind eye nothing left to lose and egged on by a crewman 1984
as long as the crew performed their naval duties on that the captain has framed for theft, Christian Starring: Anthony Hop-
top of their extra-curricular fun. takes command of Bounty. kins (Bligh), Mel Gibson
(Christian)
Soon the men were neglecting vital tasks, Even the more accurate 1984 retelling sees
and Bligh wrote that he had never known such Christian convinced by more radical crew members Things are on a slightly
“neglectful and worthless petty officers.” He urged to lead a mutiny, with Bligh’s obsessive behaviour more even keel
with this somewhat
his men to keep their minds on the mission, and leading to a life of discipline and hard physical balanced, if a little
with more than 1,000 breadfruit plants to bring labour for the men in his command. embellished,
aboard, the crew had no choice but to go to work. Before dawn on 28 April, Christian and a few retelling of
the famous
It was with heavy hearts that the crew of Bounty trusted followers armed themselves and secured tale.
left Tahiti on 5 April 1789, and the mood on the the captain, threatening to kill him should he raise
81