The damned of the seas
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The damned of the seas |
| Original title | Billy Budd |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1961 |
| length | 117 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Peter Ustinov |
| script |
Robert Rossen , DeWitt Bodeen , Peter Ustinov |
| production | Peter Ustinov, Ronald Lubin |
| music | Antony Hopkins |
| camera | Robert Krasker |
| cut | Jack Harris |
| occupation | |
| |
The Damned of the Seas (Original title: Billy Budd ) is a British adventure film , directed by Peter Ustinov in 1961 based on Herman Melville's short novel Billy Budd Fortopman . The premiere in Germany took place on November 16, 1962.
action
The sailor Billy Budd was forcibly recruited from a merchant ship to the British warship HMS Avenger in 1797 . Budd seems a bit naive and is therefore exposed to the cynicism of the rest of the team. First he gets into the anger of his comrades because he is an incorrigible optimist. He even gets good things from the bad food on the ship. But his engaging manner soon made him popular with the team, including captain Vere. However, the attempt to befriend the brutal officer Claggart fails. Claggart is a callous superior who has individual sailors flogged even for minor offenses.
Claggart, who develops a real hatred against Budd because of his nature, wants to get rid of Budd. First he wants to fake a murder plot against himself and tries through a straw man to persuade Budd to participate. But Budd refuses. Ultimately, Claggart angrily goes to Captain Vere and accuses Budd of inciting mutiny. Vere, who has been waiting for a chance to bring the brutal Claggart to court martial, does not believe the accusations and now sees an opportunity. The captain orders them both into his cabin. Claggart makes his allegations against Budd, who has no words to defend himself. Instead he pushes Claggart to the ground in a rage, who hits his head badly and dies.
Captain Vere and his officers must now speak right. A ship's court is convened. First, the court members, who all feel sympathy for Budd, want to acknowledge innocence, but Vere feels obliged to point out with a heavy heart that the law does not allow this and that the Admiralty would not accept such a judgment. And so Budd is sentenced to death.
The next morning, Budd is hanged. His last words, to the horror of the captain, are: God save captain Vere!
After the execution, the crew is on the verge of mutiny. Suddenly the Avenger is shot at by an enemy ship. The team hesitates at first, but then takes up the fight.
Reviews
"Without reaching the status of the original, an above-average adventure film of high dramatic and staging intensity develops, which directs the view beyond the historical adventure to the problem of law and justice, guilt and innocence."
Awards
1963 Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor : Terence Stamp
background
- Stamp received an Oscar nomination in his feature film debut. In the same year, he was awarded the Golden Globe for Most Promising Male Newcomer.
- Knighted in 1990, director Sir Peter Ustinov was even better known as an actor. He was twice awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (1961, 1965). Ustinov was UNICEF ambassador from 1968 until his death in 2004 .
- Cinematographer Krasker was honored with an Oscar in 1951, Melvyn Douglas even twice (1964, 1980).
- Technical advisor for the film was Captain Alan John Viliers.
- Melville's short novel was filmed three more times: in 1955 as a television film with Patrick Macnee , Basil Rathbone and William Shatner , in 1988 and 1998 as a film adaptation of Benjamin Britten's opera "Billy Budd".
Bibliography
- Herman Melville: Billy Budd - Reclam Volume 7707 - Reclam, 2006 - ISBN 3-15-007707-9
- Herman Melville: Billy Budd - English original edition - Tor Books, 1992 - ISBN 0-8125-0426-7
Web links
- Billy Budd at theInternet Movie Database(English)
- Short review of Variety (English)
- Review of the Classic Film Guide (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Damned of the Seas. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .