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Damn the Defiant! Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 16 Reviews)

"Rule Britannia Rule the Waves"!
"HMS Defiant" (Aka "Damn the Defiant" 1962) is an extraordinary, yet underrated, "wooden ships" film!
As good as "Captain Horatio Hornblower" (1951) or more recent "Master & Commander" (2003)
This film has everything to constitute a very good film: experienced director and crew, great actors and excellent special effects (done without all more recent paraphernalia).

First we'll take a look to film's crew, director Lewis Gilbert, cinematography director Christopher Callis, special effects supervisor Howard Lydecker and music score composer Clifton Parker. All of them had teamed before to produce "Sink the Bismarck" (1960) a "war at sea" movie.
Londoner Lewis Gilbert has delivered, before and after, this movie some other great films as "Alfie" (1966), "Educating Rita" (1983) and "Shirley Valentine" (1989).

Actor's performances are just outstanding. Alec Guinness characterization of Capt. Crawford is in line with his best dramatic feats as his Col. Nicholson in "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) or the Cardinal in "The Prisoner" (1955).
Dirk Bogarde as wicked and sadistic 1st Lt. Scott-Padget instills his character with a subtle dose of evilness that will make you to desire fervently to see him punished.
Anthony Quayle as sailor's rebel leader delivers a forceful piece.
The rest of the cast offers a good supporting level.

The story is situated during the Napoleonic War aboard an English war ship. Capt. Crawford is an aging unassuming veteran that will clash with ruthless and cruel 1st Lt. Scott Padget in a will contest of how to lead a vessel and his crew.
At the same time "Defiant"'s crew is enrolled in the historical fleet mutiny against violence and abuse.
The first part of the film shows different personal conflicts among the characters and will end with three spectacular sea battles full of action and realism.

Wooden ship lovers should not miss this movie!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

British Naval Warfare, With Cruelty, Mutiny And Patriotism In 1797
Anyone who likes iron men fighting in wooden ships against the French, with the roar of cannon and splinters flying everywhere, will enjoy the last half of Damn the Defiant!. Whether you enjoy the first half depends on how well you appreciate the almost psychopathic cruelty and condescension of First Lieutenant Scott-Padget (Dirk Bogarde).

It's 1797, Napoleon threatens Britain, and only the Royal Navy ensures Britain's freedom. Captain Crawford (Alec Guinness) takes command of H.M.S. Defiant, a single-gun-deck frigate. Also joining the ship is Scott-Padget, an officer with friends in high places, a talent for seamanship, and a taste for flogging. While Crawford is determined to keep an open mind about his first lieutenant, it becomes quickly apparent that Scott-Padget is an arrogant sadist who is fully capable of undermining Crawford's authority if that's what it takes to get his way. He doesn't hesitate to brutalize the captain's 12-year-old son, brought on board as a midshipman, in subtle ways that keep Crawford from intervening. Added to this seething mix is the crew itself, brutalized not just by Scott-Padget but by the terrible living conditions sailors of the Royal Navy had to endure. One crewman, Vizard (Anthony Quayle), is the leader in putting together what he thinks will be a non-violent petition for redress. Every officer, however, will consider it a mutiny.

The first half of the movie is two stories. There is the struggle between Crawford and Scott-Padget, with Scott-Padget eventually getting the upper-hand. And there is the story of the men on a wooden ship of war and what their lives are like as they're beaten and trained to be seamen, subsist on a diet of rotten meat and weevily hardtack, and can receive 50 lashes at the whim of a first lieutenant.

The second half, however, is a rouser of the old school. A vital message must be delivered to the fleet, Captain Crawford finally is able to assert himself and the French break out of a blockade determined to attack an unaware British squadron in the fog. Ship-to-ship battles are fought where the victor will be determined by which ship can get alongside the other and throw iron faster at near point-blank range. And the seamen of Defiant must decide if their loyalty to Britain will override their knowledge that, if they are accused of being mutineers, each man will most likely be hanged.

The movie's strong points, for me, are the production values, the recreation of how brutal ship-to-ship fighting was, the look at the lives of men at sea in a fighting ship, and the appeal to patriotism over self interest, which was handled effectively because it was treated matter-of-factly. The weak points, for me, centered on the two leads. Guinness as Captain Crawford seemed too sluggish in coming to grips with his first lieutenant. He needed in my view more fire. Guinness was an actor who excelled in ambiguous and thoughtful roles, but he had it in him to play men with iron and passion; just look at him as Major Jock Sinclair in Tunes of Glory. Dirk Bogarde, however, plays Scott-Padget without an ounce of any quality than condescending sadism. Scott-Padget may be a talented sea officer and a brave man, but every time he's on screen you know exactly how he will behave. For those who like the smaller roles, keep an eye out for Tom Bell, who plays a resentful, violent seaman. Nearly thirty years later he was DS Bill Otley...a man Jane Tennison quickly learned not to trust in Prime Suspect 1 but who surprised her in Prime Suspect 3.

The DVD picture looks just fine, with anamorphic wide-screen on one side and full screen on the other. There are three or four extras which aren't significant.

Fantastic War Flick!!
This is a great war movie. Alec Guinness as a beleaguered sea captain dealing with an upstart first officer and a potential mutiny is a great mix for drama and adventure. While this film is may not be quite on par with some more notable war films, no one who likes the genre will be disappointed. Dirk Bogarde is excellent as the upstart first officer and he plays the character so well that he fills you with loathing towards the end. A fine job of acting by a fine British actor. The film also has a great supporting cast that includes Anthony Quayle. I really enjoyed this film and hope readers are not put off by the somewhat steep price and are curious enough to shell out the extra cash and see it.

Four stars plus.

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