Billy Budd (1962) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

1962 · 119 mins · English

Starring

Terence Stamp, Melvyn Douglas, Robert Ryan, Niall MacGinnis, John Meillon, David McCallum

Set against the turbulent waters of 1797, the film follows Billy, a naïve and good‑natured sailor in the British Navy. When the ship’s cruel master‑at‑arms is slain, suspicion falls on the young crewman, leading to a dramatic trial amid whispers of mutiny and the looming threat of harsh naval justice.