The mini-series L'Île (French for 'the island') is based on the book by Robert Merle, which is a fictionalized story inspired by the 1789 mutiny of the HMAV "Bounty". An 18th century British merchant vessel, the "Blossom", is bound for Tahiti when a tyrant captain Blunt strikes down a seaman, a relative of the first mate Mason (Cremer). Mason seeks vendetta and kills Blunt with a single shot in full view of the crew. Prior to and during their stay in Tahiti it becomes apparent to Mason that upon their return to England he would be court-martialled and executed for mutiny. Instead, he opts to sail the vessel with a handful of sailors and Polynesian natives to an uncharted island in order to establish a settlement. Since there are more men than women, the British sailors make sure that each of them will have a native wife, while the Polynesian men are left with only a few women to be shared among many men.