DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: Mutiny

'When ships were made of wood, men were made of steel'

In 1789, Captain William Bligh was cast adrift with 18 crew members on the Pacific Sea, having lost his ship to his mutinous crew. What happened afterwards is a legendary maritime feat of endurance and adventure. Now, 228 years later, Channel 4 has helped recreate that voyage with a crew of 9 men who intend to retrace and recreate the epic tale of the Mutiny on the Bounty.

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD

What is not mentioned, at least in the first episode, is why Bligh and his loyal crew were cast adrift in the first place. Captain Bligh was notorious for being a hard man, often too demanding and abusive towards his crew, and dealing out harsh punishments. It was this that led Acting Lieutenant Fletcher Christian and other crew members to act and take control of the ship. This documentary however, provides a more sympathetic view of Bligh's character and the hardships he faced after being forced off his ship and left for dead.

Made up of experienced seamen and complete novices, the modern-day crew faces the unpredictable wide oceans of the South Pacific in a replica 23-ft boat with Captain Bligh's diary as a guide to their journey. The Captain's words are wonderfully illustrated through 3D black and white images, establishing key words in calligraphy text to re-enforce the historical account, and blue lens flares that carry through the theme of the sea.

The documentary is narrated by Philip Glenister, whose firm yet sincere tone brings back memories of a conscientiously responsible captain who faced a mutiny himself - Captain Smollett of the Hispaniola in the Sky mini-series: Treasure Island.

The audience is given insight into each crew member's personal background, their qualifications and the role each will play on board. Following the ghostly footsteps of the men whose swell they are sailing in, the crew experience and show how Bligh and his men would have suffered at the mercy of the tides and yet pulled together for survival.

In charge is Ant Middleton, former Special Boat Service sniper, who many might recognise as being the hard, no-nonsense instructor in SAS: Who Dares Wins. His leadership and determination provide him with the best foundation and expertise as a sea captain, knowing how to keep the men working and willing to follow commands.

At sea however, and not under a military operation, Ant's comfort zone may be stretched into unknown waters with the responsibility of leading a non-military team - especially as some of the men are not at all used to taking orders.

Another interesting character study is Chris, who, having spent time in prison, had an epiphany that it was his destiny to sail the sea and bought a boat to live on after his release. But Chris' metal is tested when the voyage truly gets underway, revealing his unwillingness to participate as a team player as well as his difficulty in obeying orders. Having succeeded in isolating himself from the rest of the crew, Chris shows himself to be irresponsible and undisciplined with a complete lack of care for his own safety - or perhaps simply ignorant of the dangers that surround him. Yet despite his attitude, and knowing some of his background, it is difficult not to root for this man and hope that he will somehow turn his outlook around and learn a few lessons throughout the voyage to better his character. It will be interesting to see if and how he changes, and how his tenuous relationship with the rest of the crew develops.

During the voyage the men filmed themselves - sometimes talking about their personal experiences, sometimes logging their thoughts, or just having a laugh. These go-pro like  shots are an unsettling ghostly reminder of In the Heart of the Sea in which Captain Pollard and his crew are left adrift after their ship is destroyed by a giant whale. Of course, there are no whales in this tale (so far), but the striking resemblance of a crew sailing the wide open ocean in a tiny vessel trying to survive against the odds is there all the same.

The crew were also accompanied by two cameramen, Dan and Sam. Occasionally the camera takes the audience out of the boat and above into the skies to reveal the wider picture, and we are presented with beautiful birds-eye shots of calm waters, hovering above the small rocking boat on its brave adventure. And yet all the while my technical mind was wondering - how on earth were these men achieving these shots? Were the cameramen sitting there in that tiny vessel flying a drone? Surely not? And how were their camera batteries going to last the entire voyage? Were they using solar power? Not likely.

Turns out there was a support ship sailing just behind them. Although a reality experiment, the producers couldn't possibly have allowed the voyage to take place without some sort of supervision lest they should encounter a real disaster. The risk assessment involved in setting 9 men on a 4,000 mile voyage across the South Pacific would already be imaginably lengthy.

'I need everyone to stay vigilant. If we say all hands on deck, everyone's up, okay? Cause when we go through it there's gonna be serious times ahead' - Ant Middleton, Captain

Provided with enough rations to last them 60 days, the men must resolves themselves to make the most of what they have. With only hard biscuits made of flour, water and salt, and a bit of dried beef to survive on it is no wonder some of the men lost up to 4st! Finding extra food would be a vital challenge.

But this documentary is not all doom and gloom. Amidst the crashing and swell of the South Pacific waves and the relentless rain, the men attempt to make light of the situation. Rishi in particular, the Quartermaster, proves himself to be quite the comedian upon referring to a sunrise as the 'teletubbie' sun! Of course there's also the classic manly banter, discussing the inability to pee and being sick. You may need a strong constitution if you wish to ensure the swear words that frequent these vast waters - before the episode has barely begun the air is as blue as the sea!

After a few stormy nights the men are left a little shaken, but their respect for each other has grown considerably. The heights of the waves, even on camera, are daunting, and on day 7 the crew are faced with even more problems: trench hand - for those faint of heart feel free to look away now. Personally this brings back memories of soaking wet walking boots and the harsh wind and rain of the Brecon Beacons on my Gold Duke of Edinburgh - I fully sympathise with these men who must endure for worse circumstances.

As the crew finally reach Bligh Water, a stretch of sea filled with high and low rocky islands, the men are filled with joy. There's hope again, and the uplifting orchestral score crescendos as dolphins are spotted off the port side; the crew's cheers and shouts of delight paint a heartening picture of the freedom that comes from sailing the seas.

We've seen mere glimpses of the trials that lie ahead for these men, and it's hard to imagine what it will be like. But the real bond between the crew and the audience is struck in one lasing image of two men clinging together in the black of the storm, hands clasped tightly around the other, eyes shut tight as they hope to make it through. Putting aside the banter, the childish attitudes and a bit of fooling around, Mutiny is not only a story of adventure packed full of hidden treasures and dangers, but a tale of 9 men who must pull and work together in the hopes of making it to the end of their voyage. It tells the story of humanity as its best and its worst, revealing the truths of our natural instinct to survive no matter the cost.

Commissioning Editor Rob Coldstream said: 'Mutiny is a hugely bold and ambitious challenge in its own right, with jaw-drop locations and stunning visuals - it's also an exciting new way of getting under the skin one of history's great adventure stories in a way that feels genuinely distinctive.'

Mutiny continues on Tuesday 14th March.
Watch the trailer here.

Photo credits: Google, The Guardian, Channel 4