When a kind-hearted sailor is made to join an English vessel at war in 1797, he finds himself caught between devotion to his crewmates and obedience to their hated, cruel master-at-arms.When a kind-hearted sailor is made to join an English vessel at war in 1797, he finds himself caught between devotion to his crewmates and obedience to their hated, cruel master-at-arms.When a kind-hearted sailor is made to join an English vessel at war in 1797, he finds himself caught between devotion to his crewmates and obedience to their hated, cruel master-at-arms.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 8 nominations total
Ray McAnally
- William O'Daniel - Maintopman
- (as Ray McAnnally)
Niall MacGinnis
- Nathaniel Graveling - Ship's Master, Rights of Man
- (as Niall McGinnis)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaHerman Melville had been writing poetry for thirty years when he returned to fiction with "Billy Budd" in late 1888. Still unfinished when he died in 1891, it was forgotten. Melville's biographer accidentally stumbled upon it when going through a trunk of Melville's papers in his granddaughter's New Jersey house in 1919. Melville's widow worked to help complete it, and it was finally published in 1924. Over the years, other unsatisfactory versions were published, but it wasn't until Melville's original notes were found that the definitive version was ultimately published in 1962. Coincidentally, Sir Peter Ustinov's movie version was released the same year.
- GoofsWhen Billy Budd first comes onboard the British ship, he witnesses a sailor being flogged and is told by everyone that no one even knows what the sailor had done. This would not be the case in the Royal Navy, since at all floggings the Captain was required to read in front of the crew the specific Article of War which had been violated and then state the number of lashes for the offense.
- Quotes
Billy Budd: There are many ways to lie, Mr. Claggert, but there is only one way to tell the truth.
- Crazy creditsAs the cast is listed onscreen, the actors are heard stating their characters' names and ranks.
- Alternate versionsWest German theatrical version was cut by approx. five minutes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
Featured review
Billy Budd is one of those under-appreciated films that demonstrate just how good movies can be when the producers don't succumb to the temptation to `Hollywoodize' a great work of literature. Peter Ustinov is to be commended for not adding any gratuitous love-interest to this film. In fact, there are no women in the movie at all, nor are is there any reason why there should be. Ustinov is also to be commended for not mitigating the tragic overtones of Mellville's story. Very few movies have been produced, apart from adaptations of Shakespeare, that can truely by characterized as tragedies. For Billy Budd is, indeed, a tragedy in the classical sense of the word. Billy is a classic tragic hero in that he is brought down by his single fatal flaw: an inability to articulate under emotional stress. By the same token, Captain Vere's tragedy lies in an equal inability to see beyond the need to uphold the letter of the law. All the cast do a superb job, but Terrance Stamp is particularly outstanding in the Christ-like title role. Ustinov himself also shines as the Pilate-like Captain Vere, and this movie may well be his finest performance. Robert Ryan also stands out as Master-at-Arms John Clagget, one of the most enigmatic villains in all literature. About the only criticism that has been directed at Billy Budd concerns the seeming incongruouity of the film's final scene. Without giving too much away, it should be pointed out that, after the mass-mutiny of the sailors in the British Navy in 1797 (the historical period in which Billy Budd takes place), those same British sailors turned around and achieved a resounding naval victory at the Battle of Camperdown. Bearing that in mind, the ending does not seem quite so unbelievable after all.
- robertguttman
- Nov 30, 2001
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Die Verdammten der Meere
- Filming locations
- Sierra Helada, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain(final scene: naval battle under the cliffs)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime2 hours 3 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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