It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

One of those films that is not only as good as the book but close to being better. The book is great(have a preference though to Moby Dick though, also by Herman Melville) with a story that is gripping and emotionally resonant, strong characters and a most interesting writing style, though also one that will take some getting used to. This film adaptation of Billy Budd is just wonderful and is as of now my favourite Melville adaptation. The cinematography is gorgeous and the ship is very handsomely rendered, so the film has an attractive visual style as one of the numerous things going for it. Antony Hopkins's music score is a rousing yet sympathetic one, it is elegantly orchestrated and not only is it a beautiful score to listen to it also does a great job matching the mood of each scene and what each character is thinking. The script is very intelligently adapted, and its style is actually fairly loyal to Melville's, without being too wordy or complicated. The story isn't completely faithful here, but Melville's style does shine through and in a compelling and fresh way, as well as affecting, parts did give me the chills and the ending is poignant. There are added scenes that added a lot rather than detracted, a prime example being on the deck with Claggart, a chilling scene(just like in the Britten opera, which is well worth checking out) that makes Claggart more repulsive than he already is. The pacing has space but it is not plodding at all, while Peter Ustinov clearly knows what he's doing here and directs with a deft touch. His performance also as Captain Vere is also one of his most restrained, for an actor who could be hammy(often enjoyably), and rarely has he done noble and gentle so touchingly. The aftermath of Billy's death is very believable emotionally. The rest of the cast are just as powerful, Terence Stamp's Billy- a character who you immediately like and genuinely feel sorry for- brought me to tears and Melvyn Douglas is both gravelly and robust as Danskar, who is much more interesting in this film than he is in the book. Acting honours though go to Robert Ryan, a superb performance that manages to give some depth to a truly frightening and evil-incarnate character like Claggart. All in all, wonderful film where the acting especially helps in making it as powerful as it is. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is an exceptionally good movie, but it begs the viewer to ask "why did they put American actors like Melvyn Douglas and Robert Ryan in a drama set aboard a British warship?!". While both are good actors, neither sounds the least bit British. Surely there must have been other qualified actors whose voices would have fit in with the rest of the cast that included Peter Ustinov and Terrence Stamp (as the title character)! The film is set during the time of the Napoleonic era--when the Brits and French were arch rivals. During this era, the British navy was stretched to its limits. As a result, the Brits were forcing (or impressing) lots of sailors from merchant ships (and not always British ones) into their navy. But, because the seamen were now a much more valuable commodity, the average sailor now balked at the traditional British code of military discipline. To summarize it, your superiors are gods and you are a piece of scum to be beaten at will...and like it! As a result, several of their warships had rebellions--and captains, in some cases, were killed! So, stories like "Mutiny on the Bounty", "Damn the Defiant!" and "Billy Budd" are based on real life situations caused by men no longer wanting to be beaten and executed for trivial reasons (in most cases).The film begins with a merchant ship being forcibly stopped and boarded by a British warship wanting to impress sailors into their crew. However, the merchant sailors are an angry and hostile lot and they decide to only take one of the crew (Billy Budd). Much of this seemed to be because Budd had such a nice disposition--he'd take to the British navy with little complaint. However, Budd's innocent and sweet nature is put to the test by the actions of his immediate superior (Ryan)--a martinet who seems to revel at breaking and tormenting his men.This is a very good story and seems in many ways like Melville's other classic, "Moby Dick". In both stories, there are insane leaders who cavalierly misuse and abuse their men. There also is LOTS of religious symbolism--and I have heard others refer to Budd as a Christ-like figure. However, unlike "Moby Dick" (at least the movie versions--I never would dream of actually reading it), the symbolism seems a bit less pervasive and heavy-handed--and as a result makes a much more compelling story. Plus, it's a lot more believable than a giant insane whale and an even more insane Captain! Well worth seeing because it's an interesting story and the acting is quite good. However, for fans of Ustinov, this isn't one of his best roles--he is a bit more bland and 'normal' than his usual performance. This is NOT a complaint--just more like an observation.

"When is justice compatible with speed?"Asked of the Captain in the aftermath of Claggart's death, this is one of the transcendent questions of the story - and one of any legal system.From the compact novel of the same name by Herman Melville, this adaptation by co-star Peter Ustinov - who also directed - is a marvel.Production value is excellent throughout, in particular, cinematography and set direction.The performances are completely idiomatic and uniformly superb. Special mention go to Terence Stamp, of course, as Billy Budd, who emotes genuine innocence and perfect trust - and Robert Ryan, who is thoroughly despicable as the sadistic Claggart, the lone vestige of humanity that flickers once through his tortured soul brilliantly executed. Melvyn Douglas wears the tragedy and weariness of the world on his face with a tear-stained countenance, and speaks it movingly with eloquence."We do not deal with justice, but with law," says the Captain, and Billy's fate is sealed. After the sentence is carried out, he laments in anguish, "I am not fit to do the work of God... or the Devil." But, then, who amongst us is?

"Billy Budd" (1962) directed by Peter Ustinov was a great surprise of the time, concerning what happened to a young and quite mute sailor when he was supposed to be the mate who wants to kill the commander. There is a trial and Billy Budd was condemned to death without chance and immediately. The cruelty of the implication in a kind of minor unrest and the ability in how he was indicted as criminal, by the way of judging a free thinker and not at all a violent individual, also it shows us how it's easy to put in jail someone with a fake accusation because of his behavior and insolence. Peter Ustinov and Terence Stamp both were for the very good exploit of direction and main character, thinking surely in a young audience of teenagers mainly for the purpose of the story written by Melville long time ago. The scene of the rope on the deck of the ship sailing the sea as though without enough wind running slowly under a calm weather and during the moment before the execution of the damned sailor, not acquitted on contrary of what was provable, is performed with such a good emotion that some weeping low of contained rage with this extreme measure of the sentence against a civilized young man, whom the death penalty is like grace for his own calm torment, before this almost unrealistic ceremony of fake secret unrest for all that whom observes it. But without against such a strength to prevent it as so pathetic is his character of a sacrificed for abuse from the law and the interpretation wrongly made by the maritime trial there far away of the shores. Another strength of this movie it was the character of the chief in arms performed by Robert Ryan in the role of an heinous sailor that put Billy in a state of permanent suspecting. By this way in that story is killed by this last one, which provokes the trial and the intervention of the commander for this execution. As well raising in surplus a problem of discipline in a vessel, whose crew was partly constituted by young civilians as recruits on the spot in 1797, during the state of war on Mediterrean sea between England and France.