r/piratesofthecaribbean

By: Natalie_Corsair

It’s so funny how the producers just never really seemed to understand Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow character. During production of the first movie they were terrified and accused Depp of ruining the movie with his unique ideas for the character but after the huge success of the first film the producers realized they had lightning in a bottle and decided to take it a step further in the following films with the Jack Sparrow character. Yet they STILL didn’t seem to understand the character. Instead of doubling down on Jack’s ability to always be several steps ahead while playing the fool to throw his enemies off the producers just doubled down on the playing a fool part and turn Jack into a cartoon character a lot of the time. The entire escape scene with Jack getting away from the cannibals is a perfect example of this. It’s more based on dumb luck than anything else. I still like all the movies but they just don’t reach the brilliance of The Curse of the Black Pearl.

He's the man you can slap and he'll say "alright, I deserved it". Who'll have your back whenever and wherever. Who will make you seem bigger even if you're an ant, because he's worth it.

Above all, Elizabeth lusted for adventure. It was the antithesis to her prim and proper life, representing a freedom she had never known. I personally have a hard time believing she would've settled down hard enough to stay out of trouble for 20 years. Maybe the pregnancy changed things for her, maybe she had her fill of adventure after the war on piracy. I'm reluctantly willing to believe either of those explanations, but I still feel a lot of her story is missing. What are your thoughts on the matter?

I don’t know if it just me but this scene all ways give me goosebumps

I think Black Pearl, I don't know, I think it's cool.

So in a deleted call “no truth at all” we find out Jack had a massive scar and two bullet shots in his chest, I’m wondering who caused that scar and who shot him twice…

I mean think about it, both of the ships were able to catch up onto each other during this boarding scene, the scene before that shown it had full canvas while the silent Mary has little to no canvas, the ships are in the wind as show on the image and it’s not struggling, no ropes to hold onto it and maintain the pearls speed…so I don’t think we can use the fact it’s the fastest ship anymore…it has an opponent as fast as it…

Jack Sparrow is a character who taught me a lot about morality and freedom. It came at a point in my life in which I was really distraught and confused about morality. 

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions”

I felt as though the more I tried to be moral, a pressure came over me - a feeling of pain. I know what you want me to do, and I will do it - but not because I want to. And so the solution I found was to do the opposite. But at the same time, every time I was careless, I would also feel pain. It was as if I knew what I was supposed to do - to be moral toward another - but I would purposefully do the opposite of what they wanted. Because who are they to tell me what I should do or be? What do I owe them?

Another part of me then thought: there’s parts of society I hate - criminals, the corrupt, jokers, cheaters - and I thought, how can I hate them if this same thought probably goes through their heads and justifies their actions? What do they owe me?

And the more I asked questions, the more lost I was as to what is moral and what is immoral. To protect myself, or to protect others? And so one day I was walking in the forest, and I asked outloud to the goddess calypso for a fucking answer, cos’ I was so confused, and nobody replied. But a few days later, by chance, I had to watch Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jack Sparrow answered every question on morality I had at that moment. 

It’s been a while since I saw the movies and I am still thinking about them. Like - this dude, this dude is an inspiration. He is so free. He follows his dreams and his goals, and sometimes he breaks the rules - steals from and betrays people. It's easy to describe it without understanding it. 

There’s a scene in which Jack is fighting Barbosa, and Will asks Elizabeth “Whose side is Jack on?” and Elizabeth replies, “At the moment?"

It’s as though some people believe all pirates (like barbosa) deserve to be killed, some people believe all politicians (like Governor Weatherby Swann) deserve to be killed. Jack sees everyone as equal - sometimes Barbosa / Governor Weatherby Swann can be an ally, sometimes they are not. Because *we* (in the broadest sense possible) are more than a label; as movements against racism, sexism, animal abuse and so many others are trying to tell us. 

And I thought that was so powerful. Morality is not something solid. No one can look at an object, action, person, or part of the brain and say “there is morality”. It’s a very abstract concept that flows like water, and in a way, you have to be completely present to follow where it is  - at the moment. 

I have heard that being so stuck on rules can be harmful. Like there’s no such thing as x is always right or y is always evil. That’s how evil people justify evil actions for the greater good, and good people justify good actions and end up hurting more than they help. 

This idea that I have had in my head for so long - of a stable world, a stable morality, a stable version of who I am and who I am supposed to be, and all the rules in the world - is false.

And it’s me screaming at myself that this is an illusion! Everything is possible! I feel so stuck because it feels as though the world is such a solid “thing”, and I was taught that, institutionalized as a child, filled with fears of breaking the rules. That becoming a pirate means I would be sentenced to death (as per Hoist the Colors.) Because there are systems out there. Governments. Prisons. Where people are put to death for refusing to transport slaves (reference to Jack's deleted scene where he reveals that he became a pirate after being asked to transport slaves on the Black Pearl. Is it complete fiction? Why would a scene like that even be deleted?)

But thankfully - I am really grateful - I was also taught by my many other teachers, such as Jack Sparrow (plus the writers, the directors, the actors, the cinematographer and the person that decided to release that deleted scene) that one can be free.

And in turn, everything was possible! I would really love to learn to stop limiting myself so much, and see the world of possibilities - to be able to handle infinity, to stare at it, to accept that evil is possible, that good is possible, that I can be die right now, or I can have the best day of my life today. That I can skip a day of work, not because I am sick, not because I have an excuse, but just because this rainy morning in bed I thought, “Why not treat my music as if it was my full job today?”, and that no one but myself can limit which options I have.