Mutiny on the Bounty (1962 film) The voyage gets off to a difficult start with the discovery that some cheese is missing. Bligh, the true pilferer, is accused of the theft by seaman John Mills (Richard Harris), and Bligh has Mills brutally flogged for showing contempt to his superior officer, to the disgust of his patrician second-in-command, 1st Lieutenant Fletcher Christian (Marlon Brando). The tone for the months to come is summarized by Bligh's ominous pronouncement that "cruelty with a purpose is not cruelty, it is efficiency." Aristocrat Christian is deeply offended by his ambitious captain. Bligh attempts to reach Tahiti sooner by attempting the shorter
Fletcher Christian of novels uses fictionalised versions of minor crew members as narrators of the stories. "The Bounty," released in 1984, is less sympathetic to Christian than previous treatments were. Notes Bibliography Further reading General information Genealogical information The following genealogical information about Fletcher Christian and the other "Bounty" crew members comes from descendants of the "Bounty" crew, who may not be reliable and from historical archives. Related information Fletcher Christian Fletcher Christian (25 September 1764 – 20 September 1793) was master's mate on board HMS "Bounty" during Lieutenant William Bligh's voyage to Tahiti during 1787–1789 for breadfruit plants. In the mutiny