The Bounty

The Bounty (1984) is Roger Donaldson's historical drama you can watch online on iFILM. It retells what happened aboard a British sailing ship in the spring of 1789 on the long way back from Tahiti.

Captain William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) commands the vessel on its mission to collect breadfruit saplings, ruling the crew with an iron grip. His first mate, Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson), is a friend and almost a younger brother. But months on Tahiti change men — the warmth, the freedom, the women — and the sailors have no appetite for the return to shipboard discipline. The bond between the two officers strains, then snaps, taking the crew with it. What follows is the revolt, an open boat, and thousands of miles of ocean before any hope of rescue.

Unlike earlier screen versions, this Bligh isn't a cartoon tyrant but a man cornered by his own sense of duty. The cast is stacked: a young Liam Neeson and Daniel Day-Lewis among the crew, with Sir Laurence Olivier presiding over the court-martial, and a score by Vangelis. Stream The Bounty (1984) online on iFILM.