During an expedition to Tahiti in the year of 1788 to gather breadfruit pods for commercial transplantation, a sailing ship's crew develop a taste for the easy pleasures that island life offers. Especially their luscious appetite for the native women puts a strain on the relationship with their commanding captain. When ship discipline becomes more and more problematic, Lieutenant William Bligh subjects the crew to the cruelty of corporal punishments. But when they return home, these tensions eventually reach breaking point and Acting Second Lieutenant Fletcher Christian decides to start a mutiny.