Billy Budd (1962)

Undescribable Perfection

Instant Favorite.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

A complex, deeply multi-layered and allusive story about death, which does not give up its meanings easily. Melvillian. Also extremely painful. Several characters die. Claggart reminds me of people I have known, of inexplicable self-hating personality. What does he really want ? Although he constantly lies, in some sense he is consistently true to himself, and his Satanic needs. It's been noticed that Billy's innocence makes him a Christ-like figure. Captain Vere's name suggests a form of truth, but it also means to "veer": in other words to change direction, to depart from the straight and narrow. The Rights of Man are painfully ironic, when reflecting on the slaves and native Americans, as well as the articles of war. Johnson pointed that out. Very well acted and directed. Not necessary to say who by. Hope this hasn't spoiled anything. Budd wasn't on an American merchantman when pressed.

I feel sorry for this film, because - although you could quibble on specifics - it's basically Mutiny on the Bounty without the innocent islander interlude. And it came out in 1962, the same year that the big budget overblown and just awful MGM remake came out because MGM was in its death throes, out of ideas, and had taken to recycling Irving Thalberg material from the 20's and 30's since the 1940s. If they could have gotten a voodoo priestess to get Irving Thalberg to rise from his grave at this point, MGM would have done just that. But it was Bounty that probably dominated the public interest because it was MGM and Budd was just a little old Allied Artists product. But I digress.Budd (Terence Stamp) is literally the fair haired boy of a British ship in 1797. So, after just having their collective butts kicked out of the now United States, I imagine the British navy in 1797 felt much like the MGM I just described. Although pressed into service - that is shanghaied for all you landlubbers out there - and although he is under the discipline of a depraved and sadistic Master-at-Arms John Claggart (Robert Ryan), Budd has an unbridled optimism and selflessness about him which just annoys Claggart even more. Unlike "Mutiny on the Bounty", the captain (Peter Ustinov) seems a fair and honest man. However, given past mutinies on his ship prior to his command, he probably gives Claggart more leeway than he deserves. Plus the captain feels he must hold to strict naval discipline or risk another mutiny. Also, when emotionally overwrought, Budd is given to stammering, making him unable to verbally defend himself at times. All of these facts come together for a tragic ending that gives the captain the very mutiny that his steadfast adherence to naval law had been employed to prevent. But then along come the French... So what happens? Watch and find out.A little factoid I got on the Turner Classic Movies presentation of this film last night. Ryan was deliberately unfriendly to Stamp during filming so that their antagonism would be more realistic. He knew that Stamp was new to film acting and didn't want any real friendliness to leak through into their performances.Terence Stamp's performance will seem all the more remarkable when you realize that 19 years later he is Superman's arch enemy in Superman II and looks and acts every bit as ruthless as he looks and acts angelic and innocent here. Recommended, just have patience with the pacing, because it could have used some work, particularly towards the end.

In 1797, while waging a seafaring war with France, English sailor Terence Stamp (as William "Billy" Budd) is recruited from a merchant ship called "Rights of Man" to serve on the battleship "Avenger" by order of steadfast Captain Peter Ustinov (as Edwin Fairfax Vere). The young, handsome, and fair-haired Mr. Stamp becomes equally popular with his new crew-mates. Full of innocence and good nature, Stamp wins the approval of everyone except sadistic "Master d'Arms" Robert Ryan (as John Claggart). The antithesis of Stamp, Mr. Ryan derives orgasmic pleasure from flogging his men. Stamp wants to win Ryan's soul from the dark side, but the cause is hopeless… This is Herman Melville's classic "Billy Budd" in the hands of Mr. Ustinov, an actor who should have been asked to direct more films. The project is a near-masterpiece, with Ustinov also credited as producer and co-writer. The film is true to the heart of Melville's story, with Ustinov arguably overplaying his hand only in his own characterization; his "Vere" is a "devil's advocate" who completely ignores Ryan's crimes and Stamp's defense. But, this remains a great allegorical story of good and evil. "Found in a silk-lined basket," the Biblical "Billy Budd" is faithful.Unfortunately, this ship was launched after MGM's Marlon Brando re-make of "Mutiny on the Bounty" had sucked all the water out of the ocean. Even so, Ustinov's film was recognized as the superior work. He received a "Best Director" nomination from "Film Daily" and the film showed up on 1962's "Best Picture" lists. In an unusually strong year, the "National Board" had it finish at #2.In only his second feature, Stamp made an impression that was hard to ignore, winning the "Film Daily" award in the "Supporting Actor" category and a "Golden Globe" in their newcomer category. Inarguably the star of "Billy Budd", Stamp also received his one and only (as of this writing) "Academy Award" nomination - but in the "Supporting" category. None of this helped Ryan, the film's un-nominated best supporting actor. Make sure you have your remote control ready to rewind after about an hour of running time - you may want to re-play the pivotal moonlight scene wherein Ustinov directs Stamp to make his final attempt at charming the pants off Ryan; this confrontation is truly amazing.********* Billy Budd (11/12/62) Peter Ustinov ~ Terence Stamp, Robert Ryan, Peter Ustinov, Melvyn Douglas

It's not a well-known movie, but people, this is a true masterpiece. It's almost like an European art movie, there's nothing Hollywood in it. Ustinov is a sensitive director who respects and remains true to the book (a rarity). A good idea it was made in B&W, for it makes the whole thing extremely beautiful. Hail to the photographer. And a perfect cast. Ustinov, although better known for his great comic roles, is a serious, noble, sympathetic Captain Vere. Okay, he's not as attractive as Philip Langridge (who played the role in the '88 filmed stage version), but he's credible. For Billy, the incredibly young, angelic, nice, innocent Terence Stamp was a perfect choice. He looks exactly like Melville described the character, and he's truly good and lovable without being a Mary-Sue. Maybe the only "extra" is that although naive, he has some kind of wisdom: he understands Claggart and tries to befriend him. And for the master-at-arms, Robert Ryan (who was so sympathetic and tormented in The Wild Bunch) is Evil incarnate. Not your overplayed bad guy, but a silent, smiling sadist. His death scene is one of the most frightening things I've ever seen: the dies SMILING, as if he knew he has won, and that Billy would die for this, too. One must think Claggart actually WANTED to be killed. He tempts fate again and again till he gets what he deserves. Not many movies are there what made me cry, but this one did. There's much more in it than a symbolic fight between Good and Evil. Billy might be an angel, and Claggart might be a lovechild of Iago, but the actors make them human. The tragedy is that there was the possibility of loving each other. Billy had offered it, and Claggart almost fell for good, but he couldn't deny his natural depravity. As for the homoerotic undertones: yes, they are there. Especially in Ryan's Claggart. His hate is mostly an oppressed lust.So it's a nearly-perfect movie, it really deserves more popularity. MJelville is so under-adapted! Only two versions exist for Moby Dick, and BB wasn't filmed again (at least not for cinemas) since this film.