Cheap Damn the Defiant! (DVD) (Alec Guinness, Dirk Bogarde) (Lewis Gilbert (II)) Price
CHEAP-PRICE.NET ’s Cheap Price
$22.46
Here at Cheap-price.net we have Damn the Defiant! at a terrific price. The real-time price may actually be cheaper — click “Buy Now” above to check the live price at Amazon.com.
Director Lewis Gilbert--who previously helmed Sink the Bismarck! (1960)--strikes a good balance between the personal drama and sweeping maritime adventure. Guinness successfully varies his firm-but-fair officer from The Bridge on the River Kwai, Bogarde is chillingly hateful, and Anthony Quayle gives strong support. --Gary S. Dalkin
| ACTORS: | Alec Guinness, Dirk Bogarde |
| CATEGORY: | DVD |
| DIRECTOR: | Lewis Gilbert (II) |
| THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE: | 01 January, 1962 |
| MANUFACTURER: | Columbia/Tristar Studios |
| MPAA RATING: | NR (Not Rated) |
| FEATURES: | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen |
| MEDIA: | DVD |
| UPC: | 043396082595 |
Related Products
Customer Reviews of Damn the Defiant!
Excellent story of the age of wooden ships and iron men! This is a fine story of life aboard a British naval vessel during the Napoleonic wars. Alec Guiness stars as the enlightened and thoughtful captain, Dirk Bogarde is the cruel and hard first lieutenant (executive officer). The two are locked in a battle of wills and leadership concerning the means by which the ship will be commanded. The captain believes that a happy ship is an efficient ship, and seeks to lead by inspiration. The first lieutenant believes in merciless discipline, reinforced with his sadistic love of inflicting punishment. This conflict is complicated by the fact that the men of the British fleet are plotting the famous Spithead mutinies, and the first lieutenant has influential friends in London. This is a very interesting story of leadership and conflict.
The storyline moves along smartly most of the time, and the acting is quite good. The special effects are very good--no "bathtub ships" or battles. Guiness does his customary excellent job in his role as captain, although I personally thought he might have exerted more personal force than he did; his leadership style as portrayed in the film is somewhat understated. Bogarde is excellent as the villainous first lieutenant--you'll hate him by the end of the movie.
This is a fine movie worth watching more than once.
Thank you Columbia!
Damn the Defiant! -- U.K. title: H.M.S. Defiant -- is a classic story of the British Navy's widespread "mutiny" of 1797. The film centers on board the HMS Defiant and the conflict between its Captain and First Officer and of the British Navy's sailors harsh conditions which give rise to rebellion.
Alec Guisness, Dirk Bogarde, and Anthony Quayle are excellent in their roles. Director Lewis Gilbert does an admirable job of moving the story, characters and action along.
Any of you who love the Hornblower stories will feel right at home here. Columbia is to be congratulated for giving us a 2.35:1 widescreen anamorphic-enhanced DVD of this great character-driven film. The flip side is p&s but why bother? This film needs to be seen in its original format. Sound is a clear mono. Extras are spartan but interesting.
Now if only Warner Brothers would give us the 1951 swashbuckling classic "Captain Hornblower" with a superb Gregory Peck in the title role!
Excellent Portrayal of the British Navy
The film is an excellent portrayal of the British Navy in 1797. The scenes showing the press gangs, the hard and dangerous work, the brutal floggings for relatively trivial offenses, the bad food, and the eventual and inevitable mutiny amply demonstrate the bad living conditions with which the ordinary sailor had to contend. The smug superiority of the British officer class is also demonstrated. The film contains a good historical description and engaging dramatization of the naval conflict between England and France. Also, an interesting story as men resolve a conflict between personal interest and the greater good. I highly recommend the film.