Review – Billy Budd (1962)

Melville’s classic comes to the silver screen with Terrence Stamp in the title role. Yes, Stamp was actually young enough to play a youthful, idealistic sailor at one point. Peter Ustinov co-stars and directs, which helps to give this the earnest feel endemic to obsessive “vanity” projects. Nonetheless it turns out to be a fairly good movie. The allegory about good and evil is just as heavy-handed here as it is in the source story. Some of the plot twists remain implausible. But that’s okay. The audience needn’t demand strict realism from a picture like this. And the production designers’ attention to detail lends an air of authenticity that provides a pleasing contrast to the somewhat artificial story. Overall this is a must-see for fans of “heart of oak” tales and a rewarding experience even for viewers who aren’t devoted to the sub-genre. Worth seeing