THE BOUNTY is a film with baggage. Famous and infamous baggage, that seems to suggest films made in the sun, where paradise is a part of the conversation, might not be a great an idea as they seem.
William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins), has gone down in infamy as a man of the sea, a real-life captain who, in 1787, was helming the HMS Bounty. ITs journey, a 27,000 mile voyage to tropical islands. After 31 days of severe seas, hardening food stocks and Bligh’s cruelty, the crew land to break the fast on the tropical island of Tahiti. Bligh wants them back and ready for the sea again, but as they set sail again, mutiny explodes. In steps first mate Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson) to direct the challenge against Bligh and take the ship by force.
The tale as old as the British empire it takes to task. One man (or woman) stands up to another in a position of power. THE BOUNTY is a tale of the working man saying enough is enough. You can see why David Lean and Robert Bolt were drawn to this. They wanted a two part film, to process the events and the actualities of the response. This cost. A replica ship, cast and crew set up and paid. The original producer, Dino De Laurentis left. Bolt had a heart attack and then a stroke. They tried to refinance it and shift it around to other producers and studios. Lean then left. Australian Director Roger Donaldson took over. But you might know all this and I am telling tales.
There are lots of bits to the film. Its not great but here looks amazing. The island scenes are mesmeric and the sense of wonder has been restored, even if Donaldson struggles to direct the film. The 1080p HD version of the 4K though makes us want to see the 4K rip, as that might be a thing of wonder. 
Stephen Walters wonders a lot (nice link) as he digs into the surface of this and the films rather disrupted creation in his booklet. His commentary on the disc is more historically focused and fixes on accuracy and personality, which rounds out the whole of his work. To understand the film you are watching, I point you to the director and producer commentary (which has been around before). Nice as it is, the truth is in the middle of the words. When we get to the well trodden and Youtube available docs, we need not go further. The second disc however is substantial and digs into the film. The spot light is on the film from the crew position, telling us all the pieces that make up a film. Highlights include Making Waves, which fixes on the crews experiences and whether there was something missing. A Desperate Enterprise: Directing ‘The Bounty’, sees Donaldson enable a new perception of his work and also reflects. For that is the key.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Disc One
- 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray from a 4K scan of the original negative
- Audio Commentary by director Roger Donaldson, producer Bernard Williams and production designer John Graysmark
- Audio Commentary by historical consultant Stephen Walters
- Making of The Bounty – documentary narrated by Edward Fox (1984)
- ‘The Bounty’ on Film – visual essay narrated by Stephen Walters (2004)
- Isolated Score
- Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
- Audio English DTS HD 5.1 Surround + LPCM 2.0 Stereo
- Optional English HOH subtitles
Disc Two – Bonus Disc
- A Fated Ship – documentary surrounding the construction of The Bounty replica ship and the early development of the film (1981)
- In Bligh’s Wake – documentary charting the voyage from New Zealand to Tahiti to deliver The Bounty replica for shooting the film (1984)
- NEW A Desperate Enterprise: Directing ‘The Bounty’ – interview with director Roger Donaldson
- NEW A Long Hard Voyage: Adapting ‘Mutiny On The Bounty’ – featurette
- NEW Limits of Endurance: Scoring ‘The Bounty’ – featurette
- NEW Making Waves – feature-length documentary with members of ‘The Bounty’ film crew
- NEW Mixing Waves – interview with dubbing mixers John Hayward and Robin O’Donoghue
- NEW Voyage of Our Own – interview with second unit cameraman Douglas Milsome
- A Turbulent Journey: The Making of ‘The Bounty’ – Production Slideshow
https://viavision.com.au/shop/the-bounty-1984-imprint-collection-225/
