Billy Budd
Starring: Ryan, Ustinov, DouglasStudio: Warner Home Video
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, NTSC
Running Time: 123 minutes
DVD Release: March 6th 2007
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User Reviews
caveat emptor - Rating: 1/5
Yes, you are correct. The video quality of this DVD you own is atrocious. That is because you have been DUPED. That is because it is a BOOTLEG. I have been tracking the progress of a potential DVD release of this movie since the time I bought my very first DVD player. Unfortunately for the general public, back in June of 2002, the rights to this masterpiece fell into the hands of Allied Artists Entertainment. (See my scathing review of those clowns below). They came up with the ingenious idea to release this classic on a low quality, dying format (VHS). But my patience has finally paid off, as Warner Brothers will be releasing a full length, unedited, restored, anamorphic widescreen version on DVD in March of 2007. Well, folks, I'm very sorry you fell for this one but don't feel bad as this was a well orchestrated scam. Hey look, even Amazon.com fell for it! I believe this junk was first made available on a seedy website called MoviesUnlimited. I guess Amazon wanted a piece of the action and took the bait. As a reputable online store (it's where I shop), Amazon should immediately pull this from their site. But c'mon folks, what were ya thinkin when it arrived in the mail...the cover art's scanned from the VHS box, the disc itself has no label on it, the recorded side is Purple, and the disc contains no menus or chapter stops. Did ya think it might have been good idea to return it immediately??? But fear not. In just four months all of us Billy Budd fans can finally rejoice together. Take care.
What a Classic! - Rating: 5/5
I saw this movie when I was 10 years old and it never left me. I studied the book in University, and was given the VHS copy from England some years ago. What a classic! Lines such as " The Law will exist as long as man has a mind, and Justice as long as he has a heart" and "Goodbye old Rights of Man" stay with me to this day. Ustinov did such a brilliant job in capturing the heart of the novelette by Melville. The portrayals of each character were excellent, as was the tension between Budd and Claggart, not just black and white caricatures, but expressions of the complexity and complicity of the human heart. Terrence Stamp is totally believable in a role that would be very hard to portray, Robert Ryan as Claggart is so totally humanly corrupt and bitter that you feel pity for him even as you despise him, Ustinov as Captain Vere is palpably torn in his head versus heart conflict. Keep an eye out for a very young John Meillon (Wally in Crocodile Dundee fame for those outside Oz) and David McAllum pre "Man from U.N.C.L.E." fame. A terrific tale on so many levels and one of real impact to those who believe in LAW versus JUSTICE. God bless Captain Vere!
Finally to be released in widescreen!! - Rating: 5/5
Three cheers!!!!!! Mark March 6, 2007 on your calendar!!!!! For a moment the color photos on the box cover above frightened me...but the Product Details say B&W!!!! Seeing this fabulous movie in sharp widescreen will be beyond sublime....
I will wait for a "real" DVD of Billy Budd - Rating: 1/5
I wrote this first as a comment, now I re-write as a review.
Based on the other reviews here on Amazon, I will wait for a true studio version in widescreen to be released. I share all the other comments in that it is an absolute insult to a milestone of cinematic history not to have this gem properly available to the public. The use of this film in education, in reminding our own government and to the wisdom of people in general is beyond that of nearly any other film I can think of. I can only hope that someone who cares deeply about the legacy of such masterpieces, and who has the resources, can pick up the DVD rights and produce a product worthy of it's content. (Ted Turner / Turner Classic Movies perhaps? Possibly one of the academic institutions committed to cinematic history can get involved, or maybe even Bill Gates and his interest in digitally documenting history...)
Does anyone currently owning this basic, standard format DVD have the studio information that produced it? I guess they hold the ticket on Billy Budd. I can only hope that information can be posted here in another review so that we can all let them know directly how we feel and what the market clearly wants. Can someone please post that?
Thanks and ever hopefull, - tbrownusa
Five for the movie, zero for the DVD. - Rating: 5/5
I own a few copies of the movie on VHS. I have been waiting for several years for the people in charge to decide that the film was good enough to be released on DVD. Based on the reviews I've read of the DVD's quality, however, my VHS copies of the movie seem state of the art. To those who complained on this site, I want to thank you. Maybe if every reviewer indicates their displeasure with this atrocious abomination to the arts and to those who made the film, somebody will hear us. Almost as an aside at this point to the film, it is one of the greatest films of all time, and certainly deserving of an Oscar for Robert Ryan. I can't think of one actor who could have rendered Claggart's character more chilling than Ryan did. I don't think the film would have been as realistic with any other actor. He really could depict despair and sadness better than almost any other actor.
