'H.M.S. Defiant' - sometimes known as 'Damn the Defiant!' - this UK drama follows a British naval captain who wishes to run "an effective ship... and a happy one" despite the fact that half his crew are "pressed men" (forcibly enlisted against their will). Alec Guinness is solid in the lead role, playing a character so obsessed with the naval life that he does not bat an eyelid at the prospect of having his 12 year old son on board. Problems arise as the ship's second-in-command, played by Dirk Bogarde, becomes obsessed on usurping power, insisting on regular over-the-top punishments for the captain's son in the hope of infuriating him. At the same, the pressed men, led by Anthony Quayle, are plotting a mutiny, with their cause only heightened after seeing how cruel Bogarde is to the innocent preteen boy. Then there is a pressed man who was studying law and is able to help the aspiring mutineers out. At times, 'H.M.S. Defiant' feels a tad histrionic, however, there enough of interest in the character dynamics that the film remains thought-provoking even when it turns melodramatic. The insight into forced enlistment, cruel working conditions and punishments (watch for the bread one character is told to eat) is impressive too, capturing just how unrealistic captains like the Guinness character were back in the 1790s, believing that their ships are great places to work.
Review of Damn the Defiant!
