On M List of Movie Reviews

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Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 10/08

MutinyB62
10/08: Having never seen the original with Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, I like the colorful, albeit historically inaccurate, remake of Mutiny on the Bounty with great performances by Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard.

It's perhaps the most infamous film of Marlon Brando's oeuvre for being infatuated with the island Tahiti, purchasing an atoll for himself, and taking one of the residents as his third wife: Tarita Teri'ipaia. Strangely, his second wife was Movita Castaneda who appeared in the 1935 version. According to IMDb:

"Marlon Brando, wearing his naval uniform, was widely booed and jeered at the New York premiere while Trevor Howard received thunderous applause. Brando walked out of the cinema after the audience started laughing at his English accent."

It would take him ten years to restore his respectability by appearing in The Godfather. What I love about Marlon Brando in Mutiny on the Bounty is his sensitivity. It almost reminds me of The Ugly American. When he made a speech of why his group of shipmates should sail back to England to plead their case, it's brilliant. On the other hand, I'm impressed with Trevor Howard. I don't see his character as a villain. If I have to pick the best part other than the performances, it's the beautiful-looking ship HMS Bounty.

All in all, Mutiny on the Bounty is better than its reputation suggests.