Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

During the Napoleonic War Captain Crawford is given command of the Royal Navy ship HMS Defiant . A new crew are press ganged in to service . These unwilling recruits must be turned in to sailors but very quickly the practical Captain Crawford finds himself clashing with First Officer Scott Padget The QUATERMASS trilogy of the 1950s made Nigel Kneale a household name . Unfortunately Kneale didn't like this name or to be pigeonholed as a science fiction writer and spent all his energies trying to escape this albatross around his neck . He adapted the film versions of LOOK BACK IN ANGER and THE ENTERTAINER and adapted the novel Mutiny by Frank Tilsley in to this film DAMN THE DEFIANT and what a nice little gem of a film it is too . He wouldn't thank me for saying this but if you enjoyed the personality clash between Breen and Quatermass in QUATERMASS AND THE PIT you'll enjoy this movie too Two things Kneale was outstanding at was both character interaction and dialogue . There's a golden rule of scriptwriting of " Show don't tell " and Kneale never breaks this rule but the dialogue is flowing with exposition and character even if there's not much action happening on screen . At the heart of the story is the conflict between Crawford and Scott Padgett on the methods used on getting the best out of the crew . Crawford is experienced and though he's no soft touch he's aware sailors are only human and they're not sailors through their own free will so walking along the thin divide of what is needed to be done and not overstepping the line is his paramount concern . Scott Padget's view is entirely different and rules through a brutal iron fist . The crew however don't care who is running the ship and are going to mutiny regardless This film might seem a little bit old fashioned and stagy compared to something we might get today but nowadays directors like to wave the camera about trying to show off how much money the studio spent on the production . Nowadays the going rates for stars are also a bit too high for my liking and how many so called " stars " nowadays have the presence of a Guinness or a Bogarde as seen here . Even the actors in relatively small roles such as Tom Bell and Murray Melvin impress in a tightly plotted story that is the best of British

DAMN THE DEFIANT!I was not expecting to like this, but I did. I thought it was really good.The movie is about a British ship on it's way to meet a convoy, but on the way runs into a couple of French ships. What doesn't help is there is mutiny on the Defiant.The movie stars Alec Guinness, Dirk Bogarde & Anthony Quale. Everyone was brilliant... there was not much bad acting. Everyone was convincing and I felt for some of the characters. My favourite character was played by Alec. He seemed to be such a good captain, but he runs into trouble when his second in command decides to take his position.The story was average, but the cast and the action made the movie very good. There was some great fighting scenes between ships and even fighting scenes on the ships between people. The film was very subtle too. There were people being punished etc, but you didn't see anything which made this film family friendly.I will give this film a 7 out of 10.Another Alec classic... I am really growing into quite a fan.For more reviews, please like my Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ordinary-Person-Movie- Reviews/456572047728204?ref=hl

Life for the lower ranks in His Brittanic Majesty's navy was tough.What food there was was mostly rotten.Discipline was extremely harsh.Pay was negligible and irregular,prize money from captured vessels rarely permeated down to the Lower deck,Leave a rare privilege and not a right.Not,you might think,a particularly desirable career except for the well - off officer - class and you'd be quite right.Shortage of recruits meant that Press Gangs roamed the dockside streets packed with pubs and brothels to cudgel the drunk or unwary,be they seaman or "lubber" and drag them on board ship the night before sailing where,willing or no,and it was usually no,they were signed on for a voyage that might last for three years or more of harsh sometimes terrifying conditions with no redress and no hope of escape. HMS "Defiant"(called "Regenerate" in Frank Tilsley's novel)is a frigate with a crew of mostly pressed men.Nominally in charge is relatively humane Captain Crawford(Mr A.Guinness),but de facto sadisitic Lt Scott - Padgett (Mr D.Bogarde)has power of life and death over the crew. Desperate to improve conditions,sailors throughout the fleet are organising a "petition" outlining their grievances to be presented to sympathetic ears at the Admiralty.This is "Mutiny" by the back door,a word that sends tremors of fear throughout all ranks in the navy. Capt Crawford,whilst attempting to defuse Scott- Padgett's worse depredations is handicapped by the fact that his son is a midshipman directly under the Bad Lieutenant's command.In the ensuing power struggle the crew are used as pawns by both sides so that,in effect,three factions are trying to seize control of the ship. As in "Bridge over the River Kwai" Mr Guinness plays a brave honourable man overtaken by outside events.Fighting the French and the Spanish,only having the vaguest idea of the progress of the war,he knows the best way to keep the crew with him is to engage the enemy.Scott - Padgett, ambitious glory hunter to whom the ultimate prize is command of The "Defiant" will stop at nothing to achieve that ambition. Nelson's navy is a source of unending fascination for the British. Countless novels have been written about it."Mutiny" by Frank Tilsley,on which the movie is based concentrates on the run - up to the events at Spithead in 1797."HMS Defiant" has more action than talk but the sense of the original source is retained. "Rum,Bum and concertina" was how life below decks used to be described. There's not much of the first,none at all of the second and precious little of the third on display in "HMS Defiant",but nonetheless it's a well - made entertaining film about a ghoulishly fascinating era in British naval history and I can thoroughly recommend it.

I see that mine is the fourth review within a month of this 1962 movie it's as if the film were just released! This is absolutely first rate gripping drama - wonderfully acted by three of England's best, with beautiful production values and a fascinating and varied tale. It is really three tales in one: of naval warfare during the Napoleonic Wars (three wonderfully created battles), of mutiny, and of the conflict between a captain and his first lieutenant. The folding of these three stories is really superbly done - and the characterization is superb - we feel very strongly that we know these very interesting people - and the acting by the three stars: Alec Guinness, Dirk Bogarde and Anthony Quayle is excellent. I take issue with one comment by a poster who wrote that Guinnesss plays a weak character - I don't agree though we are shown the strategic and tactical genius of his first lieutenant with whom he is in conflict. This is British film-making at its best. At least as fine as Master and Commander. I can't imagine anyone who would dislike it - anyone.