Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

I’m probably the last person in my generation to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). After its release, the film spawned several sequels in the following fifteen years (and it’s likely they’ll be more). When the film first released, let alone sequels, film journalists and pundits predicted this film wouldn’t be a success. Why? The pirate genre was no one’s idea of a summer blockbuster and the lead star Johnny Depp wasn’t considered box office gold. Yet this film proved everyone wrong.  

Young lad Will Turner is recovered from a shipwreck by Governor Weatherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce) and Lieutenant James Norrington (Jack Davenport). The mysterious medallion around his neck finds its way into the possession of Swann’s daughter Elizabeth. Many years later Elizabeth has blossomed into a refined and elegant young lady (Kiera Knightley), Norrington is expected to be promoted to commodore and Governor Swann is hoping the pair get married. This alliance faces three hurdles. Firstly there’s Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) who carries a burning torch in his heart for Elizabeth. Secondly there’s the pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) who ends up incurring the wrath of every character in the movie. Thirdly and most frighteningly, there’s a group of undead skeleton-resembling, zombie-looking pirates led by Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) who have old scores to settle with Jack, Will and Elizabeth.       

Jack Sparrow is a talking point for obvious reasons. He’s the subject of the spin-off novels, video games, a song and a constant mention in the the various "Greatest Movie Characters" / "Best Action-Adventure Heroes" polls. He displays a lot of characteristics we don’t associate with heroes. He’s deceitful in the sense that not only the bad guys, even the good guys aren’t spared from his trickery. He isn’t the hero because he does the rightful deed, he’s the hero because he claims the title without doing anything heroic. He fights his enemies using non-violent negotiation, only resorting to violence when he runs out of options. He’s essentially a rebel without a cause and it’s quite clear he’s not actively trying to look for a cause.

In contrast to Sparrow, Will Turner’s cause/mission is to see to Elizabeth’s safety. He represents more of the traditional characteristics we identify heroes with. He’s the lower class good guy whom we sympathise with, has morals, actively engages with every opportunity to combat the pirates and gets the girl in the end. He doesn’t have any grey shades which makes him less complex than Sparrow though it’s helpful in establishing a noticeable difference between him and Sparrow.

Elizabeth Swann’s character surprised me, in a pleasant way. Her role is written as a damsel in distress but for half the movie, she’s portrayed as a damsel that doesn’t submit to helplessness. Any opportunity she sees to grab a weapon or point an escape route, she takes it with full power! Her character helps bring two important events to the forefront; the clash between Jack and Norrington, and the initiation of the Barbossa’s crusade for the medallion.        

As with every other film, there are shortcomings. The second half isn’t as easy to follow as the first half, what with the protagonists constantly becoming hostages to Barbossa and Norrington. This slightly bothered me as it went against their heroic stance built by the film’s first half. I’d look forward to watching this movie a second time and seeing if these "hostage situations" bother me again. My other complaint would be with Jack’s character as he felt short of my expectactions. No doubt, Jack Sparrow was engaging to watch and the best character of the movie. However I believe the writers could have smartened the writing behind his character because at times I felt he was trying to be witty just for the sake of it.

In terms of other aspects, the settings and production design were great. They really brought me to their time period without making me root for the modern technology. The authenticity of the pirate ships reminded me of my primary school history books. Barbossa’s cave is the hideout every megalomaniac supervillain dreams of. There’s enough room to accommodate the villain’s army, the heroes can get in and out with ease and it’s all visually appealing at the same time. Port Royal made me extremely comfortable because it serves as a playground for the exciting chase scene at the start.

The action scenes are a major highlight. Jack quickly becomes Norrington’s enemy and "challenge of the day" which leads to an engaging chase scene between Jack and Norrington’s men. Though it’s only a minute long, it quickly establishes Jack’s dexterity, the Royal Navy’s inability to match his pace and most importantly, the film’s swashbuckling vibe. This scene follows on with a swordfight between Jack and Will which is expertly choreographed and just as engaging to watch. I couldn’t make up my mind who was going to win. Towards the climax, the swords make another appearance but this time, Jack’s opponent is Barbossa. This scene holds an extra appeal because the culmination of the fight is another example of Jack’s trickery.

The background score deserves a special mention as it impressed me in a particular scene where Barbossa offers Elizabeth as a sacrifice. I usually don’t feel like this about other movie scores but I felt this score in this scene really helped increase the tension.      

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a great first time watch. The second half’s pace drops slightly yet it’s enough to sustain interest. As for the film’s legacy, the successive sequels have given the film journalists food for thought. Even though I’m not enthusiastic about the pirate genre, Depp’s comic performance received so much adulation that even I had to give this one a viewing. If you haven’t done so, go ahead!