UnowPriceless hyped garbage

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

SnoopyStyle It's 1797 during the French Revolutionary Wars. Captain Crawford (Alec Guinness) is setting off on his ship, the H.M.S. Defiant, with his eager young boy. He's a veteran with a gentle touch considering the era. Lieut. Scott-Padget (Dirk Bogarde) is his new well-connected, ruthless, hardnosed first mate. There is a building conflict between the two. Much of the crew have been pressed into service by force and some are plotting a fleet wide mutiny.This is a well made thrilling sailing navy flick. The acting is first rate led by the great Guinness. The back and forth between Crawford and Scott-Padget is intriguing although more background for Scott-Padget would help. It's not quite at the level of the best of the genre but it's plenty good enough. The miniature action is quite nice. The hand to hand combat is thrilling. It's solid swashbuckling with a compelling clash of personalities.

Leofwine_draca DAMN THE DEFIANT! is a tight and compelling seafaring drama based on the true story of a mutiny in 1797. The script was written by Nigel Kneale, who brings the same wit and flair to the production as he did to his many sci-fi stories filmed by Hammer and others. The movie stars Alec Guinness as the mild-mannered captain of a British ship during the Napoleonic Wars and Dirk Bogarde as his sadistic first officer. Lewis Gilbert, best known for his Bond movies such as YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, sits in the director's chair.I'm in two minds about these older seafaring films; you can never be quite sure if they'll be exciting or stodgy, but thankfully this film falls into the former category. It's a fast paced adventure story with a good eye for character and a whole wealth of incident to keep the story moving. Guinness and Bogarde are at the top of their respective games and Anthony Quayle once again stands out playing the thoughtful mutineer. I particularly enjoyed the way that the subject of discipline is explored on the ship through some surprisingly vicious moments. There are a couple of big battle scenes which have slightly dated effects but nonetheless still work and a fantastic and inevitable climax. It's good stuff indeed.

Spikeopath It is the Napoleonic Wars, and Captain Crawford takes command of the HMS Defiant and sets off with his orders to Corsica. His second in command is Lt. Scott-Paget, a vindictive and bullying man who has moved thru the ranks on account of his connections. The two men don't see eye to eye from the off, which only compounds the many problems that are reaching boiling point aboard the ship. Mutiny is afoot and the French forces are closing in.Lewis Gilbert may just be one of Britain's most undervalued versatile directors. Here's a man that has directed Educating Rita/The Admirable Crichton {comedy}, The Good Die Young {crime}, Cast a Dark Shadow {Noir}, Reach for the Sky {biography}, Alfie/Shirley Valentine {romance}, James Bond x 3 {multi genre} and sea faring adventures such as Sink the Bismarck! and this fine Napoleonic historical piece, H.M.S. Defiant.Adapted from Frank Tilsley's novel Mutiny, this is a film built around a true story about what became known as the "Spithead" and "Nore" mutinies in 1797. Where sailors and press ganged inlander's were fed up with working conditions, rates of pay and the all round treatment from the officers in charge. Also into the mix is a fascinating battle of wills between the two leaders of the Defiant, both men, in the midst of their power struggle, are oblivious to the rumblings and plotting of the crew. I mean you would think that with the French warships possibly around the corner, that they would be unified in creating a rock solid front? That they don't gives the film an extra dimension. Thus when the battle sequences do come, and the turn of events perk the piece up, it has a two fold impact that makes all the waters lead to a terrific foggy bound climax.The cast are notable names from a roll call of British performers. Alec Guinness as Captain Crawford plays it spot on. An honourable man adhering to his code of ethics, it's thru a plot strand involving his own son being on board that Crawford gets torturous and conflicted by his emotions. Who better than Guinness to layer such a role? Dirk Bogarde steps up to play weasel duties as Lieut. Scott-Padget, suitably handsome in uniform but playing the devils tricks, it begs the question on why Bogarde didn't in fact play more villains because here he is excellent at it. Leading the mutiny is the looming presence of Anthony Quayle, who along with Nigel Stock, leaves a favourable mark in the support cast.Comparisons with other notable genre entries are inevitable, the likes of Mutiny On the Bounty, Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. and the more modern offering that is Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. If you like any of those films then the chances are you are bound to get much from this British film. It lacks quality location work, and the sound mix needs some modern tweaking {at the time of writing there is a DVD release but I've not witnessed the transfer yet}. But this is a fine genre entry as it stirs the blood, tells a great multi stranded story and is acted quite superbly by the cast. 8/10

ianlouisiana 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.