Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a pirate adventure film released by Walt Disney Pictures on July 9, 2003. It stars Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Orlando Bloom as William Turner, Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann and Geoffrey Rush as Hector Barbossa, with Jack Davenport and Jonathan Pryce. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.

The film was inspired by and partly based on the Pirates of the Caribbean attractions first unveiled at Disneyland in 1967. The film itself is set in a loose, floating period of time somewhere around the 1740s, although a number of concessions are made concerning historical accuracy. It was the first Walt Disney Pictures release to earn a PG-13 rating by the MPAA (all previous WDP releases were rated G or PG).

As of March 16 2004, Pirates had grossed at the box office more than $653 million worldwide&mdash;the 21st highest grossing movie ever. It proved to be a success for Walt Disney Pictures and, within weeks of its release, the studio announced that a sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was in development. It was released on July 6, 2006, followed by Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End on May 24, 2007.

The film was also well-received by critics. Johnny Depp received a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance as Jack Sparrow as well as being nominated for a Golden Globe. At the Academy Awards, Curse of the Black Pearl was nominated in four different categories.

Tagline: Prepare to be blown out of the water.

Fog Bound


"Quiet, missy! Cursed pirates sail these waters. You don't want to bring 'em down on us now, do ye?"

- Joshamee Gibbs to Elizabeth Swann

The story begins during the Age of Piracy, as the HMS Dauntless carries Governor Weatherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce) and his daughter, Elizabeth Swann (Lucinda Dryzek), from England to Port Royal in the Caribbean Sea. Escorted by Lieutenant James Norrington (Jack Davenport), the vessel happens upon the wreck of a merchant ship, Princess, which crewman Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally) takes to be the work of "cursed pirates". Elizabeth spots a single survivor: young William Turner (Dylan Smith), lying unconscious on a piece of driftwood. He is brought aboard the Dauntless, and rouses in time for he and Elizabeth to introduce themselves. As he lapses back into unconsciousness, Elizabeth notices a medallion about his neck. Fearing he is a pirate&mdash;and that the strict Norrington would likely have him hanged&mdash;Elizabeth takes the medallion from him before he is taken below decks.

As Elizabeth stands on the ship's bow, contemplating the medallion, the Black Pearl, a galleon with shredded black sails, makes its escape from the scene&hellip;but not before Elizabeth glimpses it and the skull and crossbones hoisted atop its mast.

The Medallion Calls
"Well, well. Jack Sparrow, isn't it?" "Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir."

- James Norrington and Jack Sparrow

We rejoin Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) eight years later, as she wakes from her dream of that fateful day. She still has the medallion, kept in a hidden compartment in a chest of drawers, and puts it on. Her father, Governor Swann, enters with a gift: a dress from London he hopes Elizabeth will wear to Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony. She agrees to wear it, though finds the corset highly restricting and uncomfortable. The Governor receives a visitor, in the form of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), who has forged a sword for the soon-to-be Commodore. It is clear he has developed romantic feelings for Elizabeth, but they part on less-than friendly terms.

Meanwhile, a strange figure is approaching Port Royal onboard a sinking dory: Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is in the market for a new ship, and, after bribing the harbormaster (Guy Siner), he heads into the docks as, high above at Fort Charles, Norrington's promotion ceremony gets underway. Sparrow is accosted by two marines, Mullroy (Angus Barnett) and Murtogg (Giles New), but distracts them with mention of the legendary Black Pearl.

On the battlements of the fort, Commodore Norrington offers Elizabeth a proposition: his new status has made clear to him he has not yet taken a wife, and sees Elizabeth as a "fine woman". Elizabeth faints&mdash;though less through shock at James' words, and more because of the tightness of her corset&mdash;and plummets into the sea far below. Sparrow, having engaged the marines in idle conversation, dives in and rescues her from the seabed, from where her medallion sends out a mysterious pulse, a signal sent across the waters. Back on the harbor, Jack's interest is piqued by the medallion, but his questions are forestalled by Norrington, who arrives with marines to arrest the pirate, having recognised a brand on his forearm as the mark used by the East India Trading Company to identify pirates. Jack, however, holds Elizabeth hostage long enough to have his effects returned, before making his swashbuckling escape into the port.

As he tries to escape, Sparrow meets Will Turner — now the local blacksmith's apprentice, who is in love with Elizabeth but is too shy and refined to admit his feelings to her — and, following a swordfight with Turner, Sparrow is knocked unconscious by Will's employer (who slept through the entire swordfight) and arrested.

That night, Port Royal is besieged by the infamous ghost ship known as the Black Pearl — a black vessel crewed by a vicious, bloodthirsty crew, and captained by a man reputed to be "so evil that Hell itself spat him back out". The mysterious pulse which emanated from Elizabeth's medallion seems to have "called" the Black Pearl somehow. Crew members from the Pearl find Elizabeth (who hides her true identity as the governor's daughter by using Turner as a last name) in possession of the medallion, and take her back to their ship. She invokes the rule of parlé ("parlai" in Middle English, "parley" in modern American English—a negotiation or discussion between two parties, particularly in military situations, during which no harm can befall the adversary) in order to be taken to the Captain of the Black Pearl, Barbossa, to ask that he cease his attack on Port Royal in exchange for the medallion. Barbossa agrees but, employing a loophole in their agreements, abducts Elizabeth. The next day, Will (having seen Elizabeth taken by the Pearl's crew) fails in his passionate efforts to convince Commodore James Norrington and the Royal Navy to pursue the culprits immediately (despite the Commodore's own feelings towards Elizabeth). While the Commodore puts his faith in strategy, Will takes up an offer by Jack Sparrow to rescue Elizabeth in exchange for breaking him out of jail. After absconding with the Royal Navy's fastest ship and assembling a crew to man it on the lawless island of Tortuga (Spanish for turtle), Jack and Will set off to find Barbossa and the Black Pearl, which is heading towards Isla de Muerta — a mysterious island that's supposedly undiscoverable, save for "those who already know where it is."

Here, we learn the true story and intentions of Barbossa and his crew. The ship and its crew were once under the command of Jack Sparrow until they mutinied a decade ago, stealing the bearings for Isla de Muerta from him, and then marooning him with a pistol containing only one shot. The island contained a cursed Aztec treasure that the crew of the Black Pearl discovered — but believing the curse to be a myth, they took the Aztec treasure for themselves. Shocked by this action, Will's father, "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, the only pirate who protested against the mutiny, sent one of the cursed gold pieces away to his son in order to ensure a fitting punishment for the crew's betrayal. In retaliation, Barbossa ordered Bootstrap to be tied to a cannon and thrown overboard. Too late, the crew discovered that the curse was indeed real; in order to break it, they were required to return all the pieces of the treasure to its chest and give a blood sacrifice from everyone who removed them. As part of the curse, the crew's gluttony, greed, and lust for worldly possessions can never be satisfied, and they became undead, forced to never die or rest in their covetousness (moonlight reveals this fact, showing the pirates in its glare to be living, rotting skeletons). After a decade, they have succeeded in fulfilling almost all of the requirements to end the curse — save for obtaining the blood of Bootstrap Bill and the gold piece he stole. With the medallion (in reality, the last piece of the treasure) and Elizabeth "Turner" (who they believe is the child of Bootstrap) in their custody, Barbossa believes he finally has what he needs to lift the curse.

Jack and Will confront Barbossa and his crew at the same time the crew learns that Elizabeth is indeed not the child of Bootstrap Bill. Will, however, had overheard Jack's plan to trade him for the Black Pearl; following his own plan, he knocks Jack out and gets them both captured in a failed attempt to rescue Elizabeth, while revealing himself to the Black Pearl's crew as the true son of Bootstrap Bill. Elizabeth and Jack are stranded on the same island on which Jack was stranded a decade ago, while Will is taken back to be killed to complete the requirements to end the curse. Elizabeth burns all their supplies (jack's hidden cache of rum), as well as some of the small island's palm trees, to create a signal fire to alert Norrington of her location. Elizabeth and Jack are eventually rescued by Norrington, but Elizabeth is unable to convince him to go back and rescue Will until Elizabeth promises to marry him.

Upon arriving at the cursed island, Jack convinces Norrington's forces to lie in ambush for Barbossa's crew while he goes in and convinces them to come out. He convinces Barbossa to delay spilling Will's blood to break the curse until after they have killed the crew of the Royal Navy ship Dauntless and taken the ship. This proves to all be part of Jack's plan; however, he was not expecting the undead crew to walk along the ocean floor to the ship, which allows them to escape the planned ambush. As the Black Pearl crew engages the Royal Navy in hand-to-hand combat aboard the Dauntless, Jack steals one of the cursed coins, unseen by Barbossa, and engages in his own swordfight with his former first mate. Because of the coin he stole, Jack now has a share of the loot, so he too is cursed and thus can't be killed until the curse is lifted. Moreover, in order for the curse to be lifted, his blood must now also be given. During their fight, he distracts Barbossa long enough until both he and Will can give their blood and return their respective coins (Will has the medallion from the start of the film, Jack the coin he recently stole). Before Will drops the coins into the chest, Jack shoots Barbossa with his pistol, containing the one shot he was given when marooned after Barbossa's mutiny. When Barbossa claims, "You carry that pistol for ten years and now you waste your shot." Will claims, "He didn't waste it!" and drops the coins into the chest breaking the curse. After the curse ends and all the Black Pearl crew becomes mortal again. Barbossa falls to the treasure-covered ground and drops his sour, green apple. Once they realize they're no longer cursed — and no longer immortal — Barbossa's crew surrenders to the Royal Navy.

Back at Port Royal, Norrington is forced to hang Jack as per law, but Will, who believes him decent enough a person to not deserve death, rescues Jack. Elizabeth, inspired by Will's sudden defiance, as well as his confession of love towards her, rejects marriage to Norrington and declares her feelings for Will instead. Norrington agrees to release her from her promise and Will is pardoned for his criminal act; meanwhile, Jack escapes and awkwardly falls into the ocean, to be rescued by the crew he assembled to help him earlier and who now man the Black Pearl. As the movie ends, Norrington watches as Jack sets sail for unknown adventure, impressed by the pirate enough to allow him one day's head start before setting out in pursuit.

Meanwhile, Barbossa's pet monkey, Jack, climbs out of the water and onto the Aztec chest, where he takes a piece of the treasure. Jack's skin sloughs off and he looks at the camera for a moment before pouncing forward, the scene disappearing into his mouth.

Cast

 * Johnny Depp &hellip; Jack Sparrow
 * Geoffrey Rush &hellip; Barbossa
 * Orlando Bloom &hellip; Will Turner
 * Keira Knightley &hellip; Elizabeth Swann
 * Jack Davenport &hellip; Norrington
 * Jonathan Pryce &hellip; Governor Weatherby Swann
 * Lee Arenberg &hellip; Pintel
 * Mackenzie Crook &hellip; Ragetti
 * Damian O'Hare &hellip; Lt. Gillette
 * Giles New &hellip; Murtogg
 * Angus Barnett &hellip; Mullroy
 * David Bailie &hellip; Cotton
 * Michael Berry Jr. &hellip; Twigg
 * Isaac C. Singleton Jr. &hellip; Bo'sun
 * Kevin McNally &hellip; Joshamee Gibbs
 * Treva Etienne &hellip; Koehler
 * Zoe Saldana &hellip; Anamaria
 * Guy Siner &hellip; Harbormaster
 * Ralph P. Martin &hellip; Mr. Brown
 * Paula J. Newman &hellip; Estrella


 * Paul Keith &hellip; Butler
 * Dylan Smith &hellip; Young Will
 * Lucinda Dryzek &hellip; Young Elizabeth
 * Michael Sean Tighe &hellip; Seedy Looking Prisoner
 * Greg Ellis &hellip; Officer
 * Dustin Seavey &hellip; Sentry
 * Christian Martin &hellip; Steersman
 * Trevor Goddard &hellip; Grapple
 * Vince Lozano &hellip; Jacoby
 * Ben Wilson &hellip; Seedy Prisoner #2
 * Antonio Valentino &hellip; Seedy Prisoner #3
 * Lauren Maher &hellip; Scarlett
 * Brye Cooper &hellip; Mallot
 * Mike Babcock &hellip; Seedy Prisoner #4
 * Owen Finnegan &hellip; Town Clerk
 * Ian McIntyre &hellip; Sailor
 * Vanessa Branch &hellip; Giselle
 * Sam Roberts &hellip; Crying Boy
 * Ben Roberts &hellip; Crying Boy
 * Martin Klebba &hellip; Marty

Jack's Crew

 * Félix Castro &hellip; Moises
 * Mike Haberecht &hellip; Kursar
 * Rudolph McCollum &hellip; Matelot
 * Gerard J. Reyes &hellip; Tearlach
 * M. Scott Shields &hellip; Duncan
 * Christopher Sullivan &hellip; Ladbroc
 * Craig Thomson &hellip; Crimp
 * Fred Toft &hellip; Quartetto

Barbossa's Crew

 * D.P. FitzGerald &hellip; Weatherby
 * Jerry Gauny &hellip; Ketchum
 * Maxie J. Santillan Jr. &hellip; Maximo
 * Michael Earl Lane &hellip; Monk
 * Tobias McKinney &hellip; Dog Ear
 * David Patykewich &hellip; Clubba
 * Tommy Schooler &hellip; Scarus
 * Michael A. Thompson &hellip; Simbakka
 * Michael W. Williams &hellip; Hawksmoor
 * Jose Zelaya &hellip; Katracho
 * Finneus Egan &hellip; Scratch
 * Don LaDaga &hellip; Nipperkin

Uncredited

 * LeJon &hellip; LeJon O. Stewart
 * Christopher S. Capp &hellip; Parrot Voice
 * Gregory Alosio &hellip; Pirate
 * Jordi Caballero &hellip; Pirate
 * Paul Cagney &hellip; Sailor
 * Brazil Joseph Grisaffi III &hellip; Marine

Setting
No specific date for the film is given, although on the DVD commentary, the scriptwriters reveal they placed the story in a thirty-year environment set loosely between 1720 and 1750. It should be noted also that the writers state they did not intend the film to be entirely historically accurate. However, several historical events can be used as markers to further pin-point the date:
 * The use of "Rule, Britannia!" at Norrington's promotion ceremony indicates the film could be set after 1740, the year in which the piece was composed.
 * The costumes used by the Royal Navy are in keeping with the 18th Century timeframe. In particular, the buttons on the Navy uniforms are engraved with markings that indicate they are products of the rime of the George Hanoverians of 1714 to 1830.
 * The 18th Century setting conflicts with the history of Port Royal, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1692. Rebuilding efforts were hampered by a second earthquake in 1704. After this, Port Royal's prominence fell greatly, and its former role was largely taken over Kingston Harbor.

DVD release
The Curse of the Black Pearl was released as a "Two-Disc Collector's Edition" DVD on December 2, 2003 by Buena Vista Home Video. Extra features comprise:

Disc 1:
 * Audio commentaries
 * Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp
 * Jerry Bruckheimer, Keira Knightley And Jack Davenport
 * Stuart Beattie, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio and Jay Wolpert
 * "Outtakes of the Caribbean" blooper reel

Disc 2:
 * An Epic At Sea: The Making of "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl"
 * 19 Deleted and Alternate Scenes
 * "Moonlight" Scene Progression
 * "Below Deck" - An Interactive History Of Pirates
 * "Fly on the Set" Featurette
 * "Diary of a Pirate" - Behind-the-Scenes look with cast member Lee Arenberg
 * "Diary of a Ship" Video Journal
 * "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" - Archival TV Program
 * Producer's Diary Featurette With Jerry Bruckheimer
 * Image Gallery
 * DVD-ROM Features: "Moonlight Becomes Ye" Effects Studio, History of the Ride Featurette, Virtual Reality Viewer, Scriptscanner & Storyboard Viewing Modes

A "Three-Disc Special Edition" was released on November 2, 2004, comprising the "Two-Disc Collector's Edition" and a third "Lost Disc" including "Never-Before-Seen Bonus Features":


 * "Becoming Captain Jack" - Johnny Depp featurette (7:45)
 * "Becoming Barbossa" - Geoffrey Rush featurette (5:29)
 * "Thar She Blows!" - The film's ship Interceptor, from building it to blowing it up (6:15)
 * "The Monkey’s Name Is Jack" - Meet Levi and Tara, the film's monkeys (4:33)
 * More "Fly on the Set" featurettes (15:31)
 * "Pirates Around the World" - international release comparison (4:09)
 * "Spirit of the Ride" - Johnny Depp, director Gore Verbinski and others reflect on their earliest memories of the attraction (7:09)
 * "Dead Men Tell No Tales" the History of the Attraction - documentary previously available only as a PC feature (13:41)
 * "Sneak Attack Animatic" (4:14)

Trivia

 * In the scene during the siege of Port Royal, when Elizabeth was being hurried away by Pintel and Ragetti, you can see a cannon shot explode in the street.
 * The movie makes numerous references to the Disneyland ride on which it was based. These include:
 * The song "(Yo Ho, Yo Ho) A Pirate's Life for Me" by X. Atencio and George Bruns, which is sung partially three times in the movie: by Elizabeth in the opening scene; by Jack and Elizabeth on the desert island; and by Jack in the final scene.
 * The jail scene, including Jack's line, "That dog is never going to move", and his trying to tempt it with a bone later on.
 * The "burning town" sequence in Tortuga, and within it, the redheaded prostitute (Scarlett), the man being dunked in a well, a pirate drinking rum atop two wobbling barrels, and the "stuffed pirate" drinking the rum spurting out of a barrel. Also, Jack's initial discovery of Gibbs sleeping with the pigs.
 * The line "Dead men tell no tales", said by the macaw, repeated throughout the ride's narration.
 * A quick shot of a skeleton sprawled on the beach of the Isla de Muerta, with a crab nearby.
 * A skeletal Barbossa drinks wine, which trickles through his exposed ribcage.
 * During the battle scene between the Black Pearl and the Interceptor, Barbossa refers to his crew as "bloomin cockroaches".
 * There are references to cursed treasure in the ride: old pirates speak of cursed treasure and how you probably don't believe in it, and the line "Who knows when that evil curse will strike the greedy beholders of this bewitched treasure."
 * Part of the Caribbean Beach Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is called "Port Royal".
 * Due to the success of the film, animatronic characters of Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa were added to the Disney ride, along with a tweaked storyline. The new attraction opened on July 7 2006, the day of the release of Dead Man's Chest.
 * Originally, the film was supposed to be animated. Gavin Dell has some concept art on display.
 * In the early 90s Ted Elliot and Terry Rosio wrote the very first draft of the movie (which in it, the role of Will Turner was the lead role), somehow Steven Speilberg (whose all time favorite ride at Disneyland, and in the world, is the Pirates of the Carribean ride) got hold of the script and greatly wanted to do the film, his three choices for the role of Jack Sparrow were Bill Murray, Steve Martin or Robin Williams. However Disney did not give permission for the film to be made. In 2000, the film was greenlighted however a different script had to be written because Speilberg's company, Amblin, owned the rights to it.