Billy Budd (1962)

Billy Budd 1962 H M S Avenger is headed into battle against the French fleet during the Napoleonic Wars, and the dark shadow of two recent mutinies in the English fleet concern Captain Vere Sir Peter Ustinov He relies on his cruel and often sadistic Master at Arms John Claggert Robert Ryan to maintain what he believes to be tenuous order and discipline aboard the ship When a new seaman, Billy Budd Terence Stamp, is pressed into service from a passing merchantman, his innocent, happy go lucky attitude quickly endears him to his messmates as well as the ships officers However, his charismatic naivete seems to bother Claggert, whose perverse depravity makes him resent Billys good natured purity, especially after the teenagers promotion to fore top Captain The mean spirited Claggert unfairly plots to put him on report and ultimately perjures himself when he accuses Billy of conspiring to mutiny