Media Literacy and The Complexity of The Pirates of The Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl - Movie Review Example

 Introduction An academy award winning movie, the Pirates of the Caribbean: The curse of the Black pearl reveals a sweeping adventure-action movie set in era in which pirates foraged the Caribbean seas. The paper analyzes how the comedic characters within the movie have been developed to reveal effectiveness, both violent and political. Will tuner teams up teamed up with an unlikely ally, Jack Sparrow whom as a team must mêlée a group of highly treacherous pirates led by Captain Barbossa, (Wiratmoko, 2009). Their mission, to save Elizabeth, Will’s love and to recover the lost treasure critically sought after by Jack. Following several clashes with swords in series of fierce mortal combats, the duo, Jack and Will attempt to recapture the Black Pearl Ship, relinquish a fortune in forbidden treasure and save the British navy thereby lifting the curse of the pirates, (Solway, 2008). Production Redbank (2007) affirms that the film’s complexity was achieved following a number of production technicalities. With numerous shootings, the first one being on October 9, 2002 in which Jack Sparrow steals the interceptor, the production team constantly changed the script to achieve their primary objective; a pirate movie with comical characters and a comical storyline with violence and politics incorporated. Trimble (2007) further documents that the film’s computer generated forms of the cursed crewmembers are relatively convincing, a feat achieved by the visual effect integrated by the production team. According to Wiratmoko (2009), the film’s production unit uses a series of filmic conventions and mythological images of characters like the masculine pirate Jack Sparrow to achieve the film’s objectives. Supplementary characters also supports the main character for example, Elizabeth Swan asks ‘Whose side is Jack on?’ to depict the ambiguity in Jack’s loyalty. Will replies, ‘at the moment?’ thereby depicting Jack’s unstable, contingent, ever changing and heterogeneous character, (Solway, 2008). Trimble (2007) however reveals that, a deeper analysis of Jack’s character reveals a strange aspect of piratical freedom and liberty from political manipulation. Analysis Comparative to the life on port Toruga, the society in Port Royal is too structured, lacking in freedom with all inhabitants obeying the preset political standards. Trimble (2007) notes that, the movie manages to bring out the free lifestyle which majority of civilized individuals seeks, a life in which individuals are allowed wild random adventures. According to Wiratmoko (2009) the camera work succeeds in depicting authentic settings of the 18th Century a generally predatory period, a time in which the movie is set. The camera work is in line with the story’s overtones, for example the picture in such expressions such as ‘pirate is in your blood, boy’ serve to bring out Turner’s shifting identity, (Steinhoff, 2009). Turner’s piratical identity is created when still a child, in the scene in which he is rescued by the British fleet. The objective of presenting Will as a pirate is further achieved by the character of Elizabeth Swann. Swann erases Tuner’s identity only revealing his true identity at the end of the movie when she calls him a pirate; “he’s a pirate,” (Redbank, 2007). A number of literary techniques involving the interaction of several discourses serve to bring out Turner’s piratical self-disclosure, (Solway, 2008). The construction of a new identity in which Turner takes an appearance of a violent, less neat and wild sailor is achieved by changes in the character’s costume. He alters his outward appearance, ridding himself of the blacksmith’s outfit and wearing a flamboyant cape and hat. Although aristocratic at first, Turner is transformed into a character with comical inclinations similar to that of Captain Sparrow, (Solway, 2008). Screenplay The script is set in the late eighteenth century in the Caribbean Sea, and depicts a story in which a villainous group of cursed pirates ravage the British colony of Port Royal thereby kidnapping Elizabeth Swann, the governor’s daughter. Their action is motivated by the false belief that Elizabeth’s blood is the key to lifting their curse although the proper blood is that of Will Turner, a blacksmith’s apprentice and a young noble hero. It happens that Elizabeth is wearing a piece of skull embossed, gold piece around her neck, the missing piece of the plundered treasure necessary to lift the curse on the pirates, (Trimble, 2007) . Character Analysis Turner is depicted as both noble and violent as he selflessly saves Elizabeth and his society. His introduction into piracy is inevitable, adopting the violent lives of pirates a representation of a process of maturation into the political reality of the 18th Century. The movie’s storyline integrates a number of filmic conventions; from a historical thriller to an almost postmodern comedy and from an action saga to a playful charade, (Wiratmoko, 2009). Will Turner is however relatively non-comical depicted as a young idealistic, obedient, young boy who although rebellious, is self confident and passionate. His character further moves from the political norms of his time, thereby breaking from the class boundaries and social conventions that separate him from the Governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann, (Steinhoff, 2009). Captain Jack Sparrow remains the most explicitly perplexing personality whose representation effectively brings out his character, that of a pirate who is both an economic criminal and a cultural deviant. Solway (2008) affirms that the character’s representation does not simply reproduce cultural dichotomies, but unsettles binary categorization furthermore, he is depicted by strong ambiguities, sailing in Port Royal with a stern face, legs spread apart, dark eyes covered by a pirate’s hart, long hair and a black coat. Wiratmoko (2009) further documents that Jack is given a dramatic and heroic entrance hence the effectiveness within the film is elicited by the character’s representation that is highly ambiguous constantly oscillating between comical, campy, heroic and anti-heroic. Jack’s character also depicts violence, prompting a debate on whether he is the best or worst pirate and whether he is a foolish pirate or a wise trickster, (Steinhoff, 2009). His campy character coupled with his flamboyant costume, numerous rings, golden teeth all serve to display a violent and unpolished character although the character’s dressing should not in anyway be interpreted in literal sense, (Steinhoff, 2009). Identity is a key objective within the play and characters effectively represent the concepts of identity. Will Tuner for example is clearly depicted as a heterosexual protagonist although Captain Sparrow’s sexuality is questionable, (Steinhoff, 2009). Although the captain’s sexuality cannot be affirmed when he is in the hot lonely island, his affection towards Elizabeth Swann may be interpreted as heterosexual. He also documents that Jack also spends emotionally intense moments with Will Tuner hence creating a strong ambiguous representation of his sexuality, (Steinhoff, 2009). He exemplifies their first encounter in which they engage in a fierce sword fight and both bear homoerotic connotations. For example, with their bodies exposed to the gaze of each spectator, they gently touch each other. Captain Jack displays a fluid identity, highly contradictory and a hybrid personality, (Solway, 2008). The sword fight in which Will Tuner is spared by Captain Jack from death, violence is depicted as a prelude to friendship although, setting the foundation in which Will Turner also saves Jack from death in the last scene of the film. Semiotic Analysis The movie’s effectiveness is depicted by the incorporation of a love story and comic relief, a technique that serves to not to alienate viewers on the basis of their personal tastes in movies. The movie can be categorized as a normative with queer elements, moments and signifiers with ambivalent and campy figures led by Captain Jack Sparrow, (Wiratmoko, 2009). However, the comedic character of Jack and that of protagonist will Turner can all be deconstructed to elicit efficacy although they remain at odds with the normal, dominant and the legitimate. The film’s language and setting are in line with the theories of Saussure since they reveal a patter in which language evolve with the passage of time. The language in the movie is symbolic, using arbitrary signs that depict the societies. Special effects such as great humor within the storyline and supernatural characters coupled with a sequence of fight sequence serve to bring out an impressive staging and choreography. Utterances such as ‘This is either madness or brilliance,’ by Will Turner as he and Jack Sparrow attempts to steal a ship serves to depicts cultural, political and behavioral extremes. Captain Barbossa quest for lifting the curse on the Black pearl also has gloriously grandiose dialogue, depictive of leadership and power, (Williams, 2006). The language used in the movie depicts piracy as an almost noble profession thereby creating a contrasting difference between the traditional and the modern perception. In the end, the film succeeds in depicting pirates as honorable men of integrity although the characters are highly representative. The curse is represented by a number of symbols from sea battles to a secret cave full of plunder, leering sailors with disfigured faces, a talking parrot and even a desert island. Although comical, the movie also has a horror story in which moonlight transforms the cursed pirates into zombie like creatures with skulls and bones thereby making the crew skeletal in nature, (Trimble, 2007). Setting Besides the film’s characters, the setting is also effective in achieving the film’s objective of reconstructing the 18th Century experiences of the pirates, (Trimble, 2007). Trimble (2007) further documents that the movie depicts two critical piratical places; the island Tortuga and the pirate ship, the Black pearl. He further affirms that these serve to educe a graphical representation of the cultural setting in additional to the social and political codes applicable at that time. Although the movie’s setting can be characterized as remarkable, they create a denaturalized setting, (Trimble, 2007). The Island of Tortuga for example represents a life of excess play, gamble, night-life, and violence. It is a counter life of that in Port Royal which is highly regulated with inhabitants living highly normative lifestyles, (Trimble, 2007). Analysis by Trimble (2007) indicates that the pirate ship is a representation of a micro-political and micro-cultural deviance. The political effect is represented not only by the specific maritime and piratical language but also via the set of specific guidelines or the code. The characters are representative of an inherently disparate society; with Jack’s crew being groups of old aged men, drunkards, blacks, deaf-mutes and individuals of short statute. This contrasts the political environment depicted in the lifestyle of the British colony who are represented as all male, highly civilized. The camera angle have served to boost the character’s costumes, makeup and hair, creating pirates in deplorable hygienic states with silver caps thereby making them undeniably real. Variant camera angles and lighting also effectively depict the scenes in which the cursed pirates turn into skeletons when exposed to the moonlight, (Trimble, 2007). Dependent upon their exposure to the night light, the characters manage to switch from human forms to cadavers, a process (Redbank, 2007) hails as having highly convincing visual effects. The comic characters, more specifically Captain Jack serves to illustrate five power bases; the expert power, legitimate power, coercive power, reward power and the referent power, (Williams 2006). Conclusion Conclusively, although with gaps, overlaps, resonances and dissonances, the comic characters serve to denote effectively achieve the themes of politics and violence. This paper has illustrated the complexity of the film with a frame and coding that portrays ambiguities, self-reflexivity and contradictory political and social systems. In totality, the film manages to depict violence in a more comical than gory way furthermore the film’s characters remain rich and multifaceted throughout the movie thereby giving it its riveting quality. References Redbank, T. (2007) Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl: A Pirate's Life. Disney Editions Solway, A. (2008) Today’s Superstars Entertainment: Johnny Depp. New York: ReadHow YouWant Publishers Steinhoff, H. (2009) Yo-ho, A Pirates Life For Me”-Queer Personalities, Heteronormativity, and Piracy in Pirates of the Caribbean. A Queer Reading. Trimble, I. (2007) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Harlow: Pearson Education. Williams, J. R. (2006) Pirates and Power: What Captain Jack Sparrow, His Friends, and Foes Can Teach Us about Power Bases. Journal of Leadership Education, 5(2) 64-99. Wiratmoko, G. A. (2009) A Socio-Semantic Study of Jargon Used in Pirates of the Caribbean Movie Manuscripts. Universita Muhammadiya Surakarta Read More