Will I love Billy Budd, Sailor?

On his way into exile on Elba in HMS Undaunted, Napoleon Bonaparte, remarked on the conduct of British sailors, how silently and efficiently they went about their duties. It is true that discipline on British warships was strict, and punishment for offenders was harsh from flogging to hanging. However, contrary to some opinions, British seamen on the whole were happy with their lot. They were well-fed and were fairly treated. The maxim ‘train hard fight easy’ was prevalent with British sailors, this novelette undoubtedly reflects this attitude.

The Billy Budd story, set aboard HMS Bellipotent, is a microcosm of life in… show more.

I have never been a Melville fan. I’ve tried several times, unsuccessfully, to finish reading Moby Dick. Two adaptations led me to Billy Budd, however. Claire Denis’ 1999 film, Beau Travail, conjures up a Foreign Legion contingent in colonial Djibouti in a tense and meditative, even hypnotic viewing experience. I am especially intrigued by the intervals of ritual-like dancing at several junctures in the film. Benjamin Britten’s opera, Billy Budd, by contrast, is an edgy and explosive adaptation of the same story. I was curious to read the shared literary source behind these two radically different… show more.