Billy Budd
Director: Peter Ustinov
Year Released: 1962
Rating: 2.5
Angelic, noble William Budd (Terence Stamp) clashes with demonic Claggart (Robert Ryan) aboard the H.M.S. Bellipotent (after a wondrous stay on the humanistic and aptly named ship The Rights of Man) - Claggart hates Budd's goodness, plots against him and Budd, unable to articulate his feelings, fells him with a blow, sealing his own fate in the process. Ustinov's direction is a tad clunky, but the gist of the story is spelled out: Budd is the White, Claggart is the Black and Captain Vere (played by Ustinov himself) is supposed to be the Grey, eventually ordering Budd to die by hanging not out of a sense of justice but to obey the law. Melville's homoerotic and spiritual subtext get pushed aside for a more grounded approach - it works even though it's not all that emotionally affecting.
