The Bounty (1984) (Widescreen)

THE BOUNTY is a well-made adventure based on the disastrous voyage of the HMS Bounty, starring Mel Gibson as the rebellious crew leader Fletcher Christian and Anthony Hopkins as the stern Captain Bligh. Although the story was filmed twice before, this revisionist version of the mutinous tale offers new insight into the characters, particularly through its depiction and exoneration of Bligh. In this film, he is seen as a professional seaman who maintains an appropriate level of discipline, rather than an outrageous tyrant. Under Bligh's autocratic rule, the Bounty begins an ill-timed voyage around Cape Horn. The crew approach a breaking point, and Christian leads them in revolt. But Christian fails to grasp the dire consequences that await them all. Roger Donaldson's movie features a remarkable cast that includes Gibson, Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Liam Neeson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Edward Fox, and Bernard Hill.