September 19th is one of the best days of the year. Know why?
Because it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day, of course!
I've written before about my fondness for pirates, and I know it's an obsession in which I'm not alone. Author and historian David Cordingly once wrote about an exhibit he co-organized at the National Maritime Museum in London. Entitled Pirates: Fact and Fiction, the exhibit first opened in May 1992 and was scheduled to last for four months. Its popularity was such that it remained for three years.
It's probably books like Stevenson's Treasure Island (1883) and Barrie's Peter Pan (1904) that should be heralded (or blamed) for creating pop culture's modern pirate craze. However, the biggest single force in piratical storytelling today is Disney's ongoing film series Pirates of the Caribbean.
When the first movie premiered in 2003, pirate movies had been in a slump for decades. Movies about pirates were known to be box-office duds, and the fact that Disney's latest offering was a quirky fantasy film said to be "based" on one of their amusement park attractions did little to inspire confidence in critics.
But Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl turned out to be a sleeper success, eventually pulling in over $600 million worldwide in ticket sales. The success was enough to spawn three additional movies in the series -- Dead Man's Chest, At World's End, and On Stranger Tides. Together, the series made history as the first film franchise to have two entries in the "billion dollar" club (that is, films whose gross has exceeded $1 at the worldwide box office).
In total, the four movies have brought in over three and a half billion dollars worldwide. In doing so, the films have also widened the world originally created for The Curse of the Black Pearl, bringing in elements of nautical mythology to create a rich, unique universe that rivals Lord of the Rings or Star Wars in terms of epic scope. The films were conceived as summertime popcorn flicks -- but, like the best sagas, they have a richness in story and character that goes far beyond the usual such fare.
Speaking of characters, there's one in particular who can take credit for the breakout success of the Pirates franchise -- and that is Captain Jack Sparrow. You don't have to have seen the movies to recognize the name of Johnny Depp's hilarious, witty, and wholly weird pirate character, as Jack Sparrow has become a pop culture icon in the decade since his first appearance.
Savvy?
Jack's my favorite, of course -- Jack's everyone's favorite -- but he's hardly the only noteworthy character in the story. He's joined by such figures as Will Turner (a young blacksmith whose ideas of right and wrong have convinced him of the impossibility of someone committing a crime but still being a decent human being), Elizabeth Swann (a governor's daughter who idolizes pirates for the freedom they represent), Commodore Norrington (a by-the-books naval officer whose world spins entirely out of his own control), and Angelica (a pirate lady from Jack's past who also just happens to be the daughter of Blackbeard). Alongside such formidable baddies as Captain Barbossa, Lord Cutler Beckett, and the devil of the sea himself -- Davy Jones -- the result is a series of stories where complex characters reign supreme.
Over the course of four films, the Pirates of the Caribbean film series posits questions about the nature of freedom, the line between good and evil, the meaning of love and friendship, and prices that must be paid for what we most want to obtain. The result is a blockbuster franchise of depth and scope that remains my favorite set of films to this day.
Considering the holiday, now would be a great time to watch (or re-watch) the Pirates of the Caribbean films. For those of you short on time, however, I've summed up my five favorite moments of the series for you. Take a look:
5. Entrances
"It's a shilling to tie up your boat to the dock."
This funny, surprising entrance (made all the more entertaining by the character's utter unconcern) was the first indication that there might be something more to this movie than the usual summer blockbuster. Jack's wholly-unique first appearance set the stage for a character who excels in forcing the people around him to expect the unexpected -- and who proves to be endlessly hilarious while doing so.
In the following films, Jack's entrances are used to foreshadow the character's fate (Dead Man's Chest), showcase his talents (On Stranger Tides), and bring him completely full-circle (At World's End). The result are four truly memorable introductions to one unforgettable character.
4. Moonlight Swordfight (The Curse of the Black Pearl)
"Couldn't resist, mate."
There's nothing like a good plot twist to raise the stakes in the third act -- and nothing like a great sword fight to finish out a grand pirate adventure. The entire Pirates film series has plenty of fantastic action sequences, but for sheer fun, you can't beat the moonlit sword-fight that takes place towards the end of the first film.
Throughout The Curse of the Black Pearl, Jack's out for revenge against Barbossa, the mutinous first mate who once was a part of his crew. That's easier said than done when you're fighting against a bad guy who's under an ancient curse that makes him impossible to kill (not to mention turning him into a skeleton every time he steps into the moonlight). Jack is, however, nothing if he's not an optimist, and the sheer odds against him don't seem to bother him much as he squares off against his mortal enemy in a rip-roaring, no-holds-barred sword duel. (Of course, Jack usually does manage to find a way to even the odds against him.)
Much of The Curse of the Black Pearl is spent wondering exactly whose side -- if anybody -- Jack Sparrow is really on. We get our answer here, tucked within a sword-fight whose participants are crossing in and out of moonlight (and in and out of "skeleton-mode") as they duel. The result is an action set piece that is visually fun and character-based, all at the same time.
3. Palm Tree Pow-wow (On Stranger Tides)
"Here's to revenge -- sweet and clear."
From the beginning of the series, Captain Hector Barbossa's been just too much fun to be all bad. Even Jack seems to concur here, as the two captains -- tied up side-by-side by the soldiers they were just attempting to rob -- take a moment to converse (and share a well-earned drink).
Barbossa's always been a complex baddie: terrifying but fun, bluntly cruel but often honorable. As the films have progressed, Barbossa has crossed the line from outright-villain to sometimes-ally, and the result is equal parts fun and fascinating. By the time we reach the fourth entry in the series, he is, if not exactly a good guy, at least masquerading as one. And as Barbossa explains what's happened to his ship (and his missing right leg), the audience gets their deepest look yet into what price Barbossa is willing to pay for his freedom and his fate. So does Jack -- who comes out of the conversation ready to help his former enemy find justice. It's an incredibly powerful scene, and it's little more than two characters sitting and chatting underneath the palm trees. Not to be missed!
(Plus, the whole thing wraps up with one of Jack's greatest escapes ever.)
2. Up is Down (At World's End)
"Now up -- is down!"
The third movie in the series remains my favorite of the films, with its complex characterization, gorgeous visuals, and epic scope. That said, it's one of the simpler bits of action that remains one of my favorites.
Trapped in the doldrums of an otherworldly ocean, our pirate crew finds themselves lost, stranded, and without any real hope of escape. They've got a mystical map that may hold the answer to their way back home, but having been unable to decipher its messages, things are looking rather bleak.
No problem. You've got Jack Sparrow on board. The solution he arrives at, following the clues of the map, may not be a traditional response to the situation -- but when you've been hounded by the supernatural as long as Jack has, you pick up a thing or two on how to handle these things. "Up is Down," reads the map, and it stands to reason (at least to Jack) that the they should take the instructions as literally as possible.
What follows is a scene that is a bit of delightful, goofy fun, but that's also got a hint of zen to it: to get to where you want to go, you might have to take a direction you'd rather avoid. If, in this case, a bit more literally than the usual.
1. The Maelstrom (At World's End)
"Gentlemen -- hoist the colors."
I don't think it's just my personal bias talking when I say that this may be the grandest action scene I've ever seen on film. With the events of a trilogy's-worth of epic storytelling all coming to a head, At World's End third act features an epic sea battle between Jack Sparrow's Black Pearl and baddie Davy Jones's Flying Dutchman -- while a storm is raging and the two ships are pulled into an enormous whirlpool.
But the Pirates movies have never been just about the action. For all the stunning visuals and enormous special effects, what makes this a favorite scene of mine is the final pushes the characters are put through. Elizabeth Swann completes her transformation from upper-crust governor's daughter to a woman fighting for her own freedom, as well as the freedom of those around her. Will Turner seizes his chance to save the father he swore to help, and, in doing so, just may discover his own destiny. And Jack Sparrow finally answers the question of whose side he's on -- and what he's willing to do to stay there.
These decisions come with prices, and, in the end, our characters prove willing to pay them. Such choices and consequences add a rich layer of morality and heart to the story -- and leave our "pirates" better, and truer, versions of who they've always been.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me ...
From the Catalog
-- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (DVD)
-- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (DVD)
-- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (DVD)
-- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (DVD)
-- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Blu-ray)
-- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Blu-ray)
-- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Blu-ray)
-- Bring Me That Horizon: The Making of Pirates of the Caribbean by Michael Singer (book)
-- The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean (book)
-- The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides by Michael Singer (book)
Don't forget to celebrate the day, matey.
-- Post by Ms. B
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