[8]

You know you're in for a harrowing journey when the ship's captain gives a dead man 300 lashes before the ship even leaves port. Charles Laughton steals the show here as the torturous Captain Bligh, a greedy monster who plays recklessly with the lives of his crew. Clark Gable is charismatic as Fletcher Christian, the man who leads the uprising against Bligh (and without his trademark mustache, since facial hair wasn't permitted in the Royal Navy). Franchot Tone is very good as Roger Byam, a friend of Christian's who ultimately sides with Bligh... a decision that nearly costs him his life. All three actors were Oscar-nominated for their roles, and the film won the award for Best Picture.

For all the ratcheting suspense that precedes it, the last twenty minutes of cross-cutting storylines loses the film some momentum, but Mutiny on the Bounty is great drama and solid escapist fare, supplemented with a fine cast that keeps you engaged to the very end.