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By
NICK ZEGARAC
Peter Ustinov's Billy Budd
(1962) is a rarely seen, though mesmerizing and
quite intimate screen melodrama set aboard a tall
ship. Based on Herman Melville's compelling novel,
the film's plot concerns the almost mute Billy
Budd (Terence Stamp), a beloved merchant sailor
who is dragooned into service aboard a British
warship. Loyal, brave and devoted to his work,
Billy is both the envy and best friend of every
sailor aboard; everyone, except the
master-at-arms, John Claggart (Robert Ryan).
Claggart is a sadist who interprets all human
interaction as a direct threat to authority. He
despises Billy, primarily because Billy is so well
liked by everyone else. To satisfy his own twisted
sense of duty and tyranny, Claggart takes every
opportunity to make an example and humiliate
Billy's inability to form cohesive sentences. This
perpetual belittlement eventually results in
tragic circumstances for both men.
Throughout, this film is an intimate critique of
the gruel and cruel ethics imparted on men under
the banner of maritime law and justice. As an
audience, we are given quality substance, mostly
without spectacle. Each character is a carefully
delineated person – not a caricature. Director
Ustinov avoids clichés and the urge to turn his
tale into another seafaring swashbuckler with its
stoic and heroic figures lashed to the masts as
martyrs.
Terence Stamp's performance is a sublime exercise
in understatement – seeming quite natural. Robert
Ryan is his usual diabolical self – quite
effective as the sailor who's given his heart, and
possibly his soul, to the sea. Outstanding mention
goes to Melvyn Douglas' reserved turn as The
Dansker Sail maker, as well as Ustinov for both
his adept direction and performance as Post
Captain, Edward Fairfax Vere – a man torn between
his sense of understanding and his commitment to
duty.
Warner Home Video's DVD is quite satisfactory;
anamorphic widescreen with a refined B&W image;
strong contrast levels and minimal amount of age
related artifacts. Blacks are deep and solid.
Whites are generally clean. Occasionally, a hint
of edge enhancement intrudes but does not
distract. There are also several scenes which
suffer from a curious soft characteristic. Fine
details are realized throughout. The audio is mono
but quite satisfactory. An audio commentary by
Stamp and Stephen Soderbergh is the only extra.
Recommended! |
