H.M.S. Defiant

A film set aboard a British warship in 1797. Captain Crawford is an experienced officer. Fair, measured, and trusted by his crew. His second in command, Scott-Padget, is another matter. He comes from a wealthy family, has political connections, and enjoys punishment. The captain's son is taken aboard as well. The boy is twelve, serving as a midshipman, and Scott-Padget singles him out. The captain cannot intervene. The man is protected by connections reaching into the Admiralty and nothing can be done through official channels. Something else is happening below decks. The crew know about preparations for action across the fleet; a plan of mutiny over pay and food is passing from hand to hand. Vane is leading it. He does not want violence; he plans to present the demands in writing. From there the film runs two lines side by side. The conflict among the officers and the preparation below decks. At the same time an engagement with the French fleet begins. The ship has to fight, and the mutiny breaks out at exactly that point. What the narrative is interested in is not mutiny but the cost of cruelty: the film asks where discipline ends and how an officer should use his power. The flogging scenes are hard. The narrative does not avoid showing the punishments and takes its force from that. The tension between Alec Guinness and Dirk Bogarde carries the film. Neither of them raises his voice. The sea scenes were shot with real ships and naval life of the period is shown in detail. The source is Frank Tilsley's novel and the events draw on a real naval mutiny. Alec Guinness, Dirk Bogarde, Anthony Quayle and Tom Bell are in the cast. Lewis Gilbert directed. Who it is for: anyone who likes seafaring films and tension between characters. Who it is not for: anyone expecting action; the battle is short and the film takes place almost entirely on board.