Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) is the movie that wasn't expected to do well, and yet, was nominated for 5 Oscars: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Johnny Depp), Best Makeup (Ve Neill, Martin Samuel), Best Sound Mixing (Christopher Boyes, David Parker, David E. Campbell, Lee Orloff), Best Sound Editing (Christopher Boyes, George Watters II), and Best Visual Effects (John Knoll, Hal T. Hickel, Charles Gibson, Terry D. Frazee). The film won 28 awards from 2003-2004; it was directed by the American director, screenwriter, producer, and musician best known for directing The Ring (2002) and Rango (2011), Gore Verbinski. In 2001, Walt Disney Pictures hired Jay Wolpert to write a script based on the famous roller coaster in the Disney theme park based on the story created by the executives Brigham Taylor, Michael Haynes, and Josh Harmon. The Curse of the Black Pearl marked the beginning of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and, unsurprisingly, was the only movie in the series that received a certified fresh of 79% in critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was primarily shot in the Californian sound stages; however, the crew did sail on the sea for six days when shooting the fight scenes between The Interceptor and The Black Pearl. The island scenes were all shot on the St. Vincent island in the Caribbean as it had the quietest beach they could find on their budget.
The movie stars Johnny Depp as the pirate Captain Jack Sparrow with Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush. The film follows the story of Will Turner and Jack Sparrow. They teamed up to save the governor's daughter from Sparrow's pirate ex-allies, cursed by the Aztec Gods and forced to "live" as the undead. A pirate is 'one who attacks and robs ships at sea,' making them criminals. However, the pirates in the series follow their own set of rules not governed by a country's law and power. How do these lawless pirates abide by their own laws, and are there repercussions when broken?
The overall moral of Pirates of the Caribbean is that if someone is doing the right thing, it's alright to bend the rules a little. Not really the message you expect to see from Disney; however, it's essential nonetheless. The superheroes we grew up watching and current generations bend all kinds of rules to get the job done. The Avengers destroyed New York City, The Flash dismantled the multiverse, and Spiderman split the Staten Island ship. These are all heroes who annihilated aspects of the city to save the citizens. So… hear me out… if a pirate steals a boat from the government to protect the governor's daughter, cut them some slack.
However, the pirates are not entirely lawless. They do have a book of rules: the Pirate's Code. When the crew of The Black Pearl attacks Port Royal and finds the governor's daughter, Elizabeth Swann, they attempt to kidnap her. Elizabeth, however, invokes the Pirate's Code by asking for 'Parley.' Bound by said Code, the pirates are obliged to take her to their captain, Barbossa, unharmed for negotiations. After the negotiations are complete, Elizabeth makes the mistake of assuming that the pirates will conform to the Code and be taken off the ship and sent home. However, she forgets that she is talking to pirates. Smartly, Barbossa knows how to find all the loopholes in Elizabeth's argument. He points this out to a shocked Elizabeth: "Secondly, you must be a pirate for the Pirate's Code to apply, and you're not. Thirdly, the Code is more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules." Proving that the pirates are lawless beings after all. Although, the real reason Barbossa kidnapped Elizabeth is that they need her for the blood sacrifice to lift the curse, and not because he doesn't care about the Code.
Another example of lawful lawlessness is Norrington. First, we're taught to hate him. He's essentially the Inspector Javert character of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise: he's technically the bad guy, but only because he's a man of the law and is meant to bring the criminals to justice, who, in this case, just so happens to be the protagonist. Norrington and his world represent the realities of law and order, black and white and unbending. His world believes in social classes, titles, and order. On the other hand, the pirates reveal a world of love, courage, and morality at war with the world of law and order.
The Pirate Code is the only "law" the pirates follow. But, at the end of the day, the Code is a set of guidelines with no real repercussions for breaking them. Think of the Pirate Code as Girl Code or Bro Code. We all know them, but there isn't any legal consequence for breaking them. Even if the Pirate Code was law, they're pirates. If they followed it, it would negate their title as criminals. However, the Code's rules proved very useful: Parley saved Elizabeth and Jack twice, and Any Man Who Falls Behind Is Left Behind rescued the Black Pearl. But, Any Man Who Falls Behind Is Left Behind is one Code often broken, as seen at the end of the movie where the crew saves Sparrow from execution. Ultimately, the Code prioritizes one's own morals above the law. It's more important to have your own sense of what's right and wrong instead of relying on laws and rules to tell you.
Comments