Fans of nautical adventures will find much to appreciate in this absorbing motion picture — even if it doesn’t star Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom. Adapted from the Herman Melville novel, Billy Budd is a 1962 effort that earned Terence Stamp a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his film debut; he plays the title character, an honest and naive sailor whose genuine goodness raises the hackles of the ship’s sadistic master-at-arms (Robert Ryan).
Peter Ustinov (who also directed) co-stars as the vessel’s captain, a fundamentally decent man whose dedication to the word of the law leads to disastrous results. This will be shown as part of the Main Library series Ships Ahoy!!: 8 Classic Seafaring Films. July 21, 2 p.m. Free. ImaginOn’s Wells Fargo Playhouse, 300 E. 7th St. 704-416-4600.
This article appears in Jul 18-24, 2012.
