Review of Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) by Mark W — 27 May 2011

An early Hollywood blockbuser and swashbuckler epic and it shows. Some of the direction is still a bit clunky but sparkling with that divine innocence and sheer passion for filmmaking that evens out all rough edges with delightful performances and sights. The film is based on a true story but the characters are fleshed out and the distinction between protagonist and antagonist is drawn very clearly, maybe too clear for my taste but I can see why it makes sense to go down that road for a feature film, especially in 1930ies Hollywood.

Charles Laughton eternalized the role of the villain who is not evil by screaming loudly or sporting some fangs in his mouth but by being so self-consciously malevolent and brutal that it makes your juices boil. Clark Gable plays the suave and good-hearted hero who cannot stand the military reign anymore and throws off the shackles. I love Clark Gable but he is not much of an actor but more or less a strongly charismatic fellow with a good screen presence, but sometimes the fine line between being the handsome womanizer with a bare chest and the morally irritated first mate becomes blurred. It is a shame he was such a homophobic arsehole.

Some of the island scenes are almost funny, because to us educated audiences they are of a silly and pornotopian disposition but within the context of the time as well as within the film's framework of emotional reference, absolutely accurate.

The supporting characters come across as slighlty bleak when compared to the lead actors and it is a shame, because we never really care for the fate of Franchot Tone's characters or all the others, which would have made the film all the more interesting.

A great sea-adventure with two of the finest early Hollywood actors and an exercise a what would become the classic Hollywood blockbuster.

HX.