PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

US, 2003, 143 minutes, Colour.
Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport, Jonathan Price, Lee Aronberg, Mackenzie Crook, Kevin Mc Nally, Zoe Saldana.
Directed by Gore Verbinski.

In the early decades of the 20th century, Douglas Fairbanks Sr and Douglas Fairbanks Jr along with Errol Flynn cornered the market on pirates with Black Swans, Sinbad, Captain Blood. Robert Newton was both Long John Silver and Blackbeard. Tyrone Power and Burt Lancaster also had their chances. However, in recent times, it is said that pirate movies do not succeed at the box office. Roman Polanski's Pirates was a case in point as well as Cutthroat Island.

That may all be over now as the Pirates of the Caribbean sail on to our screens. Based loosely on the ride in Disneyland, the project has been written by the authors of Shrek, Aladdin and The Mark of Zorro and produced by the ace of big action shows, Jerry Bruckheimer. And audiences have enjoyed it.

Set in the early 18th century, it has all the popular ingredients of sea battles, abductions of heroines, sturdy fighting heroes, an array of cutlass-armed sailors and prissy British authorities. It has a new element in so far as the pirates are under a curse and cannot die until the blood of one of their colleagues is spilt on some gold medallions. This enables the special effects crew to have the pirates look normal until the moonlight shines on them and we see them as skeletons. Since they are led by Geoffrey Rush as Captin Borbosa, they are formidable opponents.

The surprise of the film is Johnny Depp as the laissez faire Captain Jack Sparrow whose ship has been stolen by Borbosa. He escapes the island where he has been marooned and steps into all kinds of trouble in the port. Depp sports a made-up dreadlock style with a swaggering, slightly alcoholic accent, giving the wink to many of the old pirate conventions.

Orlando Bloom (Legolas in The Lord of the Rings) is the blacksmith hero and Keira Knightly quite a feisty heroine with Jonathan Pryce as the governor, her father.

It is quite long but enough going on and the performances good enough to keep us attentive.


1. The popularity of the film? The origins in the Disney theme park? The developing franchise?

2. The appeal of pirates, colourful, the Caribbean, characters and action, ships and treasure, rogues and outlaws, the law and the navy?

3. The production values, the cast, the length of the film? Locations and the islands, the sea? Action and stunts? Special effects, the skeleton crew, the fights? The musical score?

4. The title, the ship, Jack as the captain, Barbossa and the mutiny, regaining the ship? The crew of ghosts?

5. Pirates and their reputation, the attitude of the governor, of Norrington? Jack, Elizabeth, William? William and the story of his father and the mutiny? The range of characters, eccentric pirates, Ragetti and Pintel, their conversations – with the intellectual touch? The ghosts? Anamaria? Entertaining pirates?

6. Elizabeth and her dream, William adrift, his being rescued, her taking the pirate medallion? Her father looking after William? Elizabeth and her father, Norrington and his proposal, the dress and her fainting? Will, sword-maker, his talent, the gift for Norrington? The military ceremonial? The set-up?

7. Jack, in the boat, shooting the bird, floating, sailing into the harbour, the sunken boat, the flag? His arrival, tying up, paying for it? Keeping his name secret? His personality, look, the importance of his hat? His face, looks, clothes? His speech and eccentric manner? On the island, his hopes going to the town?

8. Elizabeth falling into the water, his rescuing her? The attitude of the governor and Norrington? Taking Elizabeth as hostage? Discovering Will, fighting, being knocked out, in chains, in prison? The jail, the dog with the keys, the escape, getting on the boat?

9. Norrington and his character, ambitions, planning the marriage, with the soldiers and their chatter, the ships, the pursuit, the battles? Elizabeth and Barbossa? Will and his capture? Elizabeth choosing, his relinquishing her?

10. The governor, his civil role, love for his daughter, in the town, the encounters with Jack? His hopes, the ships and his consent?

11. Will, sword-making, love for Elizabeth? The encounter with Jack, the fight? The clash with Norrington? Arrest, helping Jack escape? On the boat, encountering Elizabeth? With Jack? Barbossa and his identifying Will, the story of the father, the coin? The long explanation of his father’s story? Davy Jones and his being held? Barbossa and his wanting to kill Will, the rescue, the fight, the finale? Elizabeth and her declaring him a pirate?

12. Barbossa and his story, marooning Jack on the island, reappearance, the boat and his skeleton crew, their personalities, appearance? The fights? Having Elizabeth on board, her escape? Will and Jack? The ghosts, the duel and each shooting the other? Will and the medallion? Dying? Being shot with the gold bullet? His character?

13. Jack and his aims, his lies, the opening, Elizabeth and taking her, Will and the boat, the rescue? The deal? The encounters with Barbossa? The island, marooned with Elizabeth, the rum, her setting the beacon, their being caught? The soldiers, Barbossa and Will, his saving him, the fights with Barbossa? Infiltrating, about to be hanged….. to be continued?

14. Britain, the governors, the role of the pirates, treasure? Characters, Davy Jones and superstitions?

15. The popularity of this original film and audience desire for more?