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.
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.