Mutiny On The Bounty Essay

Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), directed by Lewis Milestone and Carol Reed, is based on the true story of the 1789 mutiny that occurred onboard the Royal Navy vessel, the “HMS Bounty,” by Lieutenant Christian against Captain Bligh. The story follows the main characters Lieutenant Christian and Captain Bligh, along with the seaman aboard the ship. Lieutenant Christian, appointed the master’s mate aboard the ship by Bligh in 1787, is the one who leads the revolt against the Captain in 1789. It is Bligh’s first captaincy and he is determined to be successful. However, after a series of mistakes, discontentedness forms among certain crewmembers. The plot line of the movie begins when the ship leaves Portsmouth in 1787 with the intent of travelling to Tahiti to pick up breadfruit and transport it to Jamaica. However, injustices among the crew, such as cutting rations, after drifting off-course in a storm agitate Mr. Christian. Upon reaching their first destination, Tahiti, the unease diminishes and the crew indulges themselves in Tahitian life, an extremely appealing environment after living on the ship for the past few months.

These decisions emanate in the deaths of a few crewmembers. Fed up of the Captain’s harsh actions, Christian decides to organize a mutiny and set Bligh, along with those loyal to him, adrift in a longboat. After the revolt, Mr. Christian and his supporters, sail the boat to a wrongly mapped island in fear of what they have done, knowing that the British will not be able to find them. Later on, Christian decides to sail back to England to testify against Bligh’s wrongdoings and asks his men to go with him. The men, tying to prevent Christian from going back, set the boat on fire, killing him in an attempt to save