Director Lewis Gilbert told virtually the same tale (albeit set in a different war) in Sink the Bismarck! as he does here in this entertaining seafaring adventure. The richly coloured romp benefits immensely from the experienced playing of Dirk Bogarde, Alec Guinness and an underused Anthony Quayle, all of whom are clearly enjoying themselves as they swash buckles in the Napoleonic wars. Coronation Street fans should keep an eye out for a young Johnny Briggs cavorting in the galleys, but it's hard to keep your eyes off the young Bogarde, who's absolutely splendid as a demented martinet. The maggots-in-the-meat scene owes something to Battleship Potemkin.

Defiant's crew is part of a fleet-wide movement to present a petition of grievances to the Admiralty. Violence must be no part of it. The continual sadism of Defiant's first officer makes this difficult, and when the captain is disabled, the chance for violence increases.