The Making of 'The Bounty' Page #2

I can, sir.

A crew on a long voyage may easily

fall into melancholy and violence.

I believe this can be relieved

by regular exercise.

So for 20 minutes each day, I had the

crew mustered and I had them dance.

- Dance?

- Yes. They danced.

An activity

they participated in wholeheartedly?

I think so. Yes.

And yet Mr Bligh,

in your own log,

you admit that this rather

unorthodox form of exercise

led to grave discontent.

On one occasion only,

sir. And not grave.

Charlie. If you only had a frock on,

I'd ask you for a dance.

Get your knees up, Quintel.

I'm doing my best, sir.

Don't answer back.

We're bloody sailors,

not bloody dancers.

Mr Christian. Mr Young.

Put a gag on Quintel.

It wasn't bloody me.

Don't make it worse, Quintel.

It wasn't him, sir. It was me.

Come along, Mr Christian.

You've got the wrong man, sir.

Churchill said it was he

who made the remark.

Gag them both.

Ah, Jesus Christ.

- Do as he says, Mr Christian.

- Sir!

Fletcher.

William, don't you think those men

have been gagged there long enough?

They were both guilty

of an act of insubordination.

I could have passed it off with

a laugh and have done less harm.

The Royal Navy is not

a humorous institution, sir.

And insubordination

is no laughing matter.

However, you may cut them loose,

Mr Christian.

But mind they appreciate

the gravity of their offence.

Thank you, sir.

Captain's orders.

Ah, yes. Sure.

You can close your mouth.

Or I'll put it back in.

I hadn't expected this from the Horn. Do

you think the weather will stay with us?

Perhaps.

It doesn't look much. Does it?

No, it doesn't, sir. But I've seen

the Horn when the waves

were as high as three houses

one on top of the other.

I once saw six men washed

overboard on one wave.

Someone on this ship

is very lucky.

Mr Fryer! Close reef!

Close reef, sir?

Don't argue with me. Close reef.

Close reef, Mr Cole.

Stand by to close reef! All hands

on deck! Move yourselves!

Hurry along and take those sails in!

Get further aloft!

Hurry up, move yourselves!

Get those sails in!

Doesn't seem to like

fair weather, does he?

(Cole) Haul on that sheet!

Get those sails in!

Mr Fryer. I seem to have

made a misjudgement.

You don't make many, sir.

Make sail.

Make sail, Mr Cole.

Aye, Aye, sir. Prepare to make sail!

Let go sheets and tack!

Square away!

Get aloft!

(Sounds of crew screaming)

Someone!

Mr Christian!

Pull! Pull!

Robert, mind those bloody pots! Robert,

he's on fire! Someone douse him.

We'll all be killed!

All hands on deck!

Close the hatches!

Take the wheel, man.

Steering to port side.

(Continuing shouts

of crew members)

Man those pumps!

Jamie,

hold that board. Someone!

Don't let go on the pumps!

Somebody get a bloody hammer.

Sir! Sir!

Have the carpenter lash

those things down, now!

- We must turn back!

- What?

In my opinion,

we should put about.

In my opinion we should not, sir.

We keep on our course.

(Fryer) You'll never make it

round the Horn. We must turn back.

Mr Cole, Mr Cole!

I want my opinion in the log, sir.

Mr Cole, have that lashed down.

And all the men on deck, now!

I want my opinion in the log!

Very well, Mr Fryer. If that's what

you wish, you shall have it.

The ship can't stand it

The ship can stand it

very well, Mr Fryer!

And how long do you think

the men can stand it?

As long as the officers

can stand it, Mr Fryer!

Get these things

tied down now.

Valentine! Come with me, boy!

Mr Bligh. How long did you

attempt to round the Horn?

And how far

did you travel in that time?

in 31 days, Mr Bligh.

You endangered your ship

and your crew for 31 days

in order to satisfy your ambition

to circumnavigate the globe.

(Bligh's voice over)

My dearest Betsy,

Only to you in this bitter moment

can I reveal my heart.

I have failed completely

in my attempt to round Cape Horn

and circumnavigate the globe.

My doubts about Mr Fryer's

commitment to our endeavour

have been confirmed.

(Knock on door)

Enter.

- The men are assembled, sir.

- Come in. Come in.

I'm very sorry, William.

Oh. It can't be helped.

Come along.

(Voice off camera)

Lads!

We will go about and run downwind

for Africa and the Indian Ocean.

- Mr Lamb!

- Here Sir.

As soon as we have put about it will be

safe to light your galley fires again.

Tonight I want as much hot mush

as every man can eat.

(Cole) Let's hear it

for the Captain, lads! Hip-hip!

(Crew members)

Hooray! Hooray!

However. However. We're still

faced with a long hard voyage.

I mean to make good use

of every hour of sailing time.

And to assist me in this, I'm replacing

Mr Fryer with Mr Christian

who will now act

as executive second in command

with the rank of

Acting Second Lieutenant.

Mr Fryer, come back here.

Mr Fryer, sir! Come back here!

You'll dismiss when I have done

with you, sir. Do you hear me?

- This is an outrage!

- Mr Fryer.

In all my years at sea...

Your years at sea?

Good Lord, man.

If I had known your nature,

I would not have accepted you

as boson of a river barge.

Must I suffer this before...

You'll suffer my correction,

whenever you're at fault, sir!

What fault?

Damn your eyes, man!

You turned your back on me!

- Oh, for that I apologize.

- Very well.

- But I protest.

- You protest, do you?

I am Master of The Bounty.

And I am Commander, by law!

I am the first. Do you understand?

God damn your hide.

And now you may dismiss, sir!

- Mr Cole.

- Sir.

All hands on deck. If you please.

Surely, Mr Bligh. It was unwise

to replace a professional sailor

like Mr Fryer

with a relative novice?

Fletcher Christian could hardly

be called a novice, sir.

The fact that he was

a good friend of yours,

was not of undue

influence upon you?

Let me know the intent

of your question, Mr Greetham.

We're trying to establish, Mr Bligh,

how you came to lose your ship.

I did not lose my ship, sir!

It was taken from me by a gang of

mutineers led by Fletcher Christian.

The man you promoted.

Yes. I promoted him because

John Fryer was grossly inefficient.

And he was also a coward. Fletcher

Christian at least had courage.

More, perhaps, than you ultimately

found to be acceptable. Eh, Mr Bligh?

(Bligh's voice over)

Friday, October 10th.

At half-past twelve today,

James Valentine departed this life

as a result of illness and fatigue

sustained at Cape Horn.

This after all my care of the men

is surely a result

of our drunken surgeon's neglect.

Oh, God. By whose mercy

the souls of all men rest.

Bless these waters

and absolve from sin

he whose body

we now confine to them.

Eternal rest grant unto him.

And may he rest in peace. Amen.

(Crew)

Amen.

Commit the body to the deep.

(Bligh's voice over)

At four o'clock, we buried Valentine

with all the decency in our power.

Twenty-five degrees.

Thirty-six minutes.

Land Ho! Land Ho!

Where away?

Dead ahead, sir.

(Cries of welcome from natives)

Stand by to fire the salute!

Ready to fire the salute. Fire!

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