Damn the Defiant!
Damn the Defiant!
On the H.M.S. Defiant, during the French Revolutionary War, fair Captain Crawford is locked in a battle of wills against his cruel second-in-command Lieutenant Scott-Padget, whose heavy-handed command style pushes the crew to mutiny.
grantss reviewedMay 24, 2025
Rollicking, tension-filled age-of-sail naval drama.
1797. Frigate HMS Defiant sets out for the Mediterranean from England, commanded by Captain Crawford. Little does Captain Crawford know it, but he is sitting on a powder-keg: an insubordinate First Lieutenant that overzealously punishes crew members and is generally bad for morale but is untouchable due to having friends in high places and a crew that is on the brink of mutiny.
A good old-fashioned age-of-sale naval drama. There’s the usual ship vs ship, English vs French, battles and these are very well done in this case: quite gritty and action-packed.
Adding to this is the internal drama: the Captain vs his First Lieutenant, the brewing mutiny and the sub-plots and collateral damage stemming from these two threads.
Great work by Alec Guinness as Captain Crawford, Dirk Bogarde as Lieutenant Scott-Padget and Anthony Quayle as Vizard, the leader of the mutineers. Solid supporting cast
It all adds up to a tense, entertaining movie. Not perfect: the plot is a bit contrived and/or cheesy at times but overall a great film.