Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on August 28.
Watch it tonight and enjoy.
BILLY BUDD
The HMS Avenger, commanded
by Captain Edward Vere, impresses Billy Budd off of a merchant ship. Budd is an optimistic, naïve and humble man
who stutters when he is agitated. The master-at-arms on the ship John Claggart
is the exact opposite. He is cruel and violent. He and Budd clash over
Claggart’s practice of using flogging to discipline the crew. The crew all hate
Claggart, but they refuse to speak against him for fear of retaliation. Only
Budd dares to questions Claggart’s actions. Claggart is incensed when the
captain promotes Budd. On August 28, 1797 [1:20:44 to 1:49:28] Claggart
implicates Budd is planning a mutiny. Budd unfortunately stutters in trying to
reply to the charges. Budd strikes Claggart and accidentally kills him. Budd is
court-martialed. The Captain convinces the court to find Budd guilty as he
feels that the striking of a superior by an inferior can never be tolerated.
The verdict almost does incite a mutiny by the crew, as Budd had become very
popular. Budd is hung from the yardarm.
Now the crew does refuse to obey orders, but just as the ship’s marines
are about to fire on the crew, a French ship appears and opens fire. The crew
does return fire on the French ship. In the battle a piece of rigging falls on
the Captain and kills him.
A very interesting, but
overlooked film. It is the story of two men with opposite worldviews who come
into conflict, eventually resulting in both of their deaths. The Captain
promotes the idea that the letter of the law is more important than justice,
while our sympathies are obviously directed to support for the opposite
proposition.
Date given in film at 1:55:41 –45
Producer - Peter Ustinov
Director - Peter Ustinov
Screenplay - Peter Ustinov
Awards – The movie was nominated for the Best Supporting
Actor (Stamp) at the 35th Academy Awards.
Runtime – 1 hour 34 minutes
Released - November 12, 1962
Starring –
Terence Stamp as Billy Budd
Robert Ryan as John Claggart, Master d'Arms
Peter Ustinov as Edwin Fairfax Vere, Post Captain
Melvyn Douglas as The Dansker, sailmaker
Paul Rogers as Philip Seymour, 1st Lieutenant
John Neville as Julian Radcliffe, 2nd Lieutenant
Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.
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