Rosie Searle 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.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

chaswe-28402 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.

evening1 I enjoyed this classic story about victimization and "going by the book." Sure, Billy was guilty but he was disabled by a stuttering problem. And just the way we don't execute people today because they may be mentally handicapped, he shouldn't have gotten a noose around his neck. The ship captain was more concerned about how he would be viewed -- and perhaps saving his own hide -- than about doing the right thing. And Billy understood and even forgave this tragic decision.I was reminded of another great story by Melville as I watched this film, "Bartleby the Scrivener," who wouldn't conform to expectations and paid the price when he said, "I prefer not to." As the wise old sail maker said, Claggart murdered Billy the moment Billy killed him. Yet there was something self-sacrificing about the young and lovable seaman. Somehow he put himself out there as a sacrificial lamb -- perhaps by demonstrating the grace that had eluded the loathsome Claggart.Like Christ, Billy died for others' sins.In all, a troubling and compelling movie.

T Y As far as I can tell, whatever themes are professed to be inside any and all nineteenth century seafaring adventures, they're really just about styles of leadership. The nautical adventure always devovles into some nasty, neurotic hardass envying some younger more attractive, more mild and likable sailor and a battle of wills follow (See Master & Commander, Mutiny on the Bounty, Moby Dick, Mr Roberts). Some authority figure always turns out to be a sadist. Ahab, Bligh (and more generally in nineteenth century fiction; Soubeyran, Squeers, Javert) and here Claggert (played by Robert Ryan). Their villainy is signified by their sneering smiles, their craggy faces, their peg-legs, and their bottomless cruelty. Audiences then mentally substitute previous bosses, bad parents, the jerk cop who pulled you over last weekend as the nasty abuser. The merits are rather slight.The argument, that no one seems able to come up with, for not hanging Billy is that the brass will lose the faith of the crew. The point is made by the films own obvious and acceptable dramatic conclusion (which is followed by a cheap bait and switch distraction).

Michael O'Keefe A classic. Herman Melville's short novel comes to life in distinguished black and white cinematography. Peter Ustinov directs, co-writes, produces and stars in this stirring tale of might verses right on a British warship in 1797. Ustinov plays Captain Vere with Robert Ryan as his Master d'Arms John Claggart. Terence Stamp makes his debut as the young Billy Budd, an uneducated naive seaman forced to serve in the British Navy during the war against the French. The innocent Budd is easily liked by the experienced crew; and a mutiny almost erupts when the charming Billy is tried for murder. Well directed and acted. Powerful original music by Antony Hopkins. The very strong supporting cast includes: Melvyn Douglas, John Neville, Paul Rogers, Victor Brooks, John Meillon and David McCallum. Too good to miss.