Trouble In Tahiti

I recently watched the 1962 version of Mutiny On The Bounty.  The 1935 version, while I don't consider it a classic (it certainly doesn't compare to other films of that year like Top Hat and A Night At The Opera), is pretty good.  Starring King of Hollywood Clark Gable as well as Charles Laughton and Franchot Tone (all of whom were nominated for Best Actor), it was the biggest hit of the year and winner of the Best Picture Oscar.  So it's understandable that MGM would try again.  But what they got was an epic flop that almost destroyed the studio.

They hired one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Marlon Brando, in the Gable role.  What they didn't know was that Brando had peaked.  He made one fine film after another in the 50s, many of which were hits, but he didn't have a single film go into profit in the 60s. (He would, of course, make a comeback in The Godfather (1972).)

But also, Brando wasn't going to play the virile leading man that Gable had.  Instead--and no one had the power to stop him--he plays 1st Lieutenant Fletcher Christian as a fop.  It's fascinating to watch, but doesn't really work.  His character doesn't seem to relate to anyone else on screen.  So instead of being the clear opposition to cruel Captain Bligh, he just seems to be there, finally taking over the ship somewhere around the time the first film was already over. (The first one was 132 minutes, the second 178 minutes).

It's too late to save the film at this point, but it gets worse.  Captain Bligh manages to get home and be acquitted in his trial, but dressed down nevertheless.  And that's that, nothing comes of it (as opposed to the 1935 movie).  Meanwhile, Christian and his mutineers find an island and he decides to return to explain his side of the story.  This is insane, and his mutineers light up the ship--Christian dies trying to save it.

Trevor Howard as Bligh makes the biggest impression, as any decent actor in the role would.  Richard Harris in the equivalent of Franchot Tone's role (sort of) hardly gets enough of the story for us to care about him.  Still, there's some nice scenery, and certainly plenty of stuff for nautical fans.  And it's always fun to watch Brando, even when he's poorly cast or making odd decisions.

Mind you, the film grossed a fair amount, it just went so over budget it couldn't show a profit.  All of Brando's shenanigans hurt his reputation in Hollywood, but he loved making the film.  Not the acting, but the trip to Tahiti.  He loved the place and the people, and bought an island (or several) there.