Billy Budd is a 1962 black and white movie based on Herbert Melville's unpublished novel of the same title, adapted from the stage version. It tells the story of the simple but kind sailor, Billy Budd (Terence Stamp), who is forced under wartime law onto the British warship HMS Avenger. The cynical crew, led by Captain Edwin Vere (Peter Ustinov), attempts to dampen Budd's ever-present smile and optimism, but he refuses to allow them. No matter how bad the situation, Budd always manages to find something good about it. Eventually, the crew grows to love him, all except for the ship's cruel Master of Arms John Claggert (Robert Ryan), who takes pleasure in flogging any member of the crew that steps out of line. As a result of a horrible accident, Billy Budd winds up accused of murder. His life lays in the hands of Captain Vere, who must decide whether to execute what he knows is an innocent man or to fulfill the requirements of justice.moreless