The film adaptation of William Golding's award-winning novel depicts the long, arduous sea voyage of the young nobleman Edmund Talbot from England to Australia on a ship. The ship is packed with people, including passengers like Talbot, but also poor emigrants. But everyone undertakes the strenuous and, above all, boring journey.
Edmund Talbot continues his arduous journey to Australia on the ship. Both crew and passengers struggle with the constant boredom. The monotony is abruptly interrupted when a French warship appears on the foggy horizon. Edmund already sees death before his eyes.
The dilapidated ship is trying to get back on course for Sydney. The passengers suffer terribly from every movement of the stricken ship. Edmund is tasked with convincing the irascible Captain Anderson that it would be wiser to take a different, quieter route, as the passengers have little hope of ever reaching their destination alive.
