In the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," Will Turner, the blacksmith, finds himself surrounded by the curse of the black pearl. This curse, created by the Aztec gold pieces, brings upon those who possess the gold an eternal life but also turns them into undead skeletons under moonlight. Will's life becomes entangled with this curse as he tries to rescue his love interest, Elizabeth Swann, who has been captured by the cursed crew of the Black Pearl. Will's connection to the curse begins when he discovers his father, Bootstrap Bill Turner, is a member of the cursed crew. This connection puts him in a vulnerable position as the crew seeks to recapture the last remaining piece of Aztec gold, which Elizabeth is wearing. Will's determination to save Elizabeth pushes him further into the chaos surrounding the curse.
David Wappel is a feature writer. Recent work includes the screenplay for Long Gone By, now available on HBO. He was named a Top 25 Screenwriter to Watch in 2020 by the ISA and is the 2019 Stowe Story Labs Fellowship winner. He is an avid Shakespeare and Tolkien fan.
William Turner, a resourceful young blacksmith, teams up with the eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow to save his love, the Governor s daughter, Elizabeth Swann, who has been mistakenly captured by the clever and treacherous Barbossa, a former ally of Jack, to make a blood sacrifice so as to end the curse that has been casted upon him and his crew. One of the reasons that Jack Sparrow is memorable is because he s not the protagonist of the film, and this affords him a bit more room to maneuver outside of the demands of the plot.
Will's determination to save Elizabeth pushes him further into the chaos surrounding the curse. Throughout the movie, Will finds himself in multiple life-threatening situations, constantly on the run from the cursed crew. His knowledge of blacksmithing and sword fighting aid him in battling the undead, but also make him a target for their revenge.
Breaking Down Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a fantasy historical film, the first in the franchise about a group of pirates terrorizing the Caribbean in the 18th Century.
Grossing $654.3 million worldwide, the film was one of the most successful of 2003. In this blog, we’re going to break down the plot using Blake Synder’s Save The Cat beat sheet and uncover why it was such as box office hit.
Let’s start with some background about the film.
The trailer
When the announcement was made that production had begun on the film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, there was a great amount of skepticism. The teaser trailer hardly showed much of the film. However, the theatrical trailer was released during The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers to capitalize on Orlando Bloom and it soon became clear that this film was going to be something great.
Who wrote Pirates of the Caribbean: The Black Pearl?
The screenplay for Curse of the Black Pearl was written by Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio, who also have story credit along with Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert.
It was directed by Gore Verbinski and starred Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, and Geoffrey Rush. It was released in 2003.
In 2001 Disney asked Jay Wolpert to write a script based on the ride Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. The script was rewritten in 2002 by Stuart Beattie. It was then rewritten again by Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio. Previous credits from that team include Aladdin and The Mask of Zorro.
One of the elements that Jerry Bruckheimer, a producer on the film, really pushed for was the inclusion of supernatural elements. Meanwhile, Gore Verbinski was simultaneously pushing for historical accuracy and minimizing overt references to the theme ride on which the film is based.
This led to a wonderful collaboration of a supernatural take that feels grounded in the ships and sailing parlance of the time.
The launch of a franchise
Recently, the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise was listed as the 10th highest-grossing franchise of all time. The second film did well though subsequent entries fell short with critics and at the box office, relative to the first film at least. And yet, the sixth entry is currently underway. This film franchise is so good that even after multiple films in the franchise fail to recapture the magic, Disney continues to go back.
The “magic” in the first film is a wonderful combination of classic storytelling and simple setups, executed at the highest level of the craft.
Main characters
The main characters of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl are:
Captain Jack Sparrow
Played by Johnny Depp. He's a pirate who is given command over a ship by his mutinous crew after they're cursed by the treasure they seek.
Will Turner
Played by Orlando Bloom. He's a blacksmith who falls in love with Elizabeth Swann and wants to marry her, but he's unable to because their fathers are enemies.
Elizabeth Swann
Played by Keira Knightley. She is the daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann and Captain William Turner's fiancée; she falls in love with Will Turner.
Captain Barbossa
Played by Geoffrey Rush. He is the captain of the Black Pearl, which Jack Sparrow commandeers after Barbossa's crew mutinies against him; he has been cursed for stealing Aztec gold and seeks more treasure to lift his curse.
Joshamee Gibb
Played by Kevin McNally. He is Jack Sparrow's first mate on the Black Pearl; he helps Jack escape from jail after being arrested for piracy at Port Royal because he owes him a favor from when they were both pirates together before
The performances
Famously, the studio was terrified of the dailies they were seeing of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow. Was he drunk? Was he gay? They couldn’t tell, and the character remains difficult to define by traditional archetypes. But Depp’s eccentric performance is arguably the main thing everyone remembers about this film.
One of the reasons that Jack Sparrow is memorable is because he’s not the protagonist of the film, and this affords him a bit more “room” to maneuver outside of the demands of the plot. The constant scheming and side-switching keeps the audience on their toes, and it’s something the character of Will Turner (the true protagonist) isn’t able to do.
After the box-office failure of The Country Bears, another film based on a Disneyland attraction, this project was almost scrapped. Michael Eisner himself went to see early work, and when he saw the concept art he told them to keep going ahead. A script was written, but sometimes it takes artists to bring the world to life to really see if something’s going to work or not.
As innovative as it was, particularly with the supernatural angle (and the included VFX that comes with it) the Pirates of the Caribbean follows a very classical structure, with a young man dashing off to rescue his love. It follows the classic Hero’s Journey while still feeling modern. It’s a great testament to the notion that classic structure works well, but the surface needs to be resonant with today’s audiences.
What is the Save the Cat Beat sheet?
If you don’t know it, before reading further, you can check out Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat Beat Sheet here.
You can also read our blog here which explains in more detail where Save the Cat came from and why it’s important. Now let’s apply the Save the Cat formula to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and see how it works.
Breakdown of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Opening image
A ship sails on the foggy sea, as a young girl sings a pirate shanty on the bow.
Theme stated
Elizabeth Swann, the young girl, says “I still think it would be exciting to meet a pirate…”
Set-Up
Jack Sparrow, a pirate, arrives at Port Royal, around the same time we learn that blacksmith Will Turner is in love with Elizabeth, the governor’s daughter.
Catalyst
Pirates attack Port Royal, and Elizabeth is taken captive.
Debate
Will attempts to persuade Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington to go after her, and he is unsatisfied with their plan.
Break into two
Will springs Jack Sparrow from jail, and the two steal a ship to go after the pirates and Elizabeth.
B story
We learn a bit about Jack’s plan to recapture the Black Pearl.
Fun & games
Will learns about being a pirate and learns more about Jack Sparrow himself. Elizabeth also learns more about Barbossa and his crew of cursed pirates.
Midpoint
At Isla de Muerta, Jack and Will can rescue Elizabeth. But Jack himself is captured.
Bad guys close in
Will and Elizabeth, aboard the Interceptor, attempt to outrun the pirates in the Black Pearl, but the ship catches up with them and a naval battle ensues.
All is lost
Will is captured, and Elizabeth and Jack are marooned on an island.
Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp star as Capitan Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann in the first Pirates film.
Dark night of the soul
After rescue from a large signal fire, Elizabeth agrees to marry Norrington, if they go to rescue Will, who is about to be killed for his blood to lift the pirates’ curse.
Break into three
Jack goes to the Isla de Muerta and convinces the pirates to attack the British, kicking off a full-scale battle on the ship.
Finale
As everyone fights, Jack and Barbossa duel, both being immortal until finally the curse is lifted and Jack shoots Barbossa.
Final image
Jack Sparrow sails off into the sunset, as a pirate.
Jack Sparrow stares off into the distance as he waits for his next adventure.What can we learn from breaking down Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl?
Pirates of the Caribbean inverts the classic damsel in distress rescue plot by placing Elisabeth at the centre of most of the action. Indeed Jack himself is kidnapped reversing this troupe.
Think about how you can invert stereotypes and tropes in your own writing to challenge your viewers' expectations and create suspenseful action sequences where there is genuine jeopardy.
This constant danger adds suspense and tension to the story, highlighting the curse's impact on Will's life. The curse of the black pearl not only affects Will physically but also emotionally. He grapples with the revelation that his father is linked to the cursed crew, causing him to question his identity and his place in this pirate-filled world. His journey becomes a battle of loyalty and self-discovery as he navigates the treacherous waters of the curse. The main idea throughout the movie is that Will Turner is surrounded by the curse of the black pearl. This curse puts him in constant danger and challenges his beliefs and perceptions of himself and those around him. His determination to save Elizabeth and confront his father's past drives the plot forward, making him a central figure in the curse's narrative. Ultimately, it is through Will's actions and bravery that the curse is lifted, and he is able to find resolution and closure..
Reviews for "The Black Pearl's Vengeance: Will Turner Caught in its Grasp"
1. Jane - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "The Curse of the Black Pearl Surrounding Will Turner". The plot felt needlessly convoluted and the pacing was all over the place. I also found the characters to be one-dimensional, with Will Turner being particularly underdeveloped. The action sequences were exciting, but they were overshadowed by the lackluster storytelling. Overall, I felt like the movie failed to live up to its potential.
2. Mark - 3 stars - While "The Curse of the Black Pearl Surrounding Will Turner" had its moments, I couldn't help but feel that it fell short in certain areas. The film had a promising premise, but the execution was lacking. The character of Will Turner was portrayed as a helpless damsel in distress, which was a disservice to his potential as a leading character. Additionally, the plot had too many twists and turns, making it difficult to follow. Despite some visually stunning scenes, the movie failed to engage me fully.
3. Sarah - 2.5 stars - I had high hopes for "The Curse of the Black Pearl Surrounding Will Turner", but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The story felt disjointed and confusing, with unnecessary subplots that detracted from the main narrative. The character of Will Turner was overshadowed by other more charismatic figures, making him seem like an afterthought. The visuals were impressive, but they couldn't compensate for the lack of a compelling storyline. Overall, I was disappointed by this installment of the series.