'Pirates of the Caribbean' - review

This first scene is only 5minutes long; however the introduction to the storyline has been well established by use of an effective atmosphere, which creates many different tones of the same mood. This mood is built around a spine-chilling base that holds suspense, mystery and panic throughout. When the 'old man' grasped Elizabeth's shoulder and told her "Cursed pirates sail these waters" we were made to feel uneasy about what this could entail. We were no more reassured when he added how "unlucky it is to have a lady on board".

A foreboding mist appears just as Will Turner is hauled out of the sea. This mist seems to be a representation of Will's presence as we do not know anything about him other than his name & that he has connections with pirates (this due to an amulet found around his neck). He is a mystery and we are left asking questions: What does the amulet mean? Why was he in the sea? Is he himself a pirate?

Through this mist, a long shot of a burning ship emerges and the mystery is rapidly forgotten and transformed into sheer panic. The music adjusts to a more upbeat rhythm, building up the feeling of anxiety. There is a zoom in on the burning debris, causing the viewer to connect this incident to the stereotypical pirate (this is because of previous dialogue). All fears are confirmed when the skull & cross bone flag comes into view. It is filmed on a shift of focus, blurring the amulet held in the foreground. Elizabeth's face is then viewed on an extreme close up as a child, followed by an extreme close up as an adult - this is the shift of scenes.

There is a large contrast between the lighting used in this first scene and the one that follows. On the ship, mainly bleak greys and blues are used. These cold tones subconsciously develop the viewers mind into an anxious state. However, a warm, dusky orange has lighted the scene directly after this, sending out the impression of a secure and cosy environment. The use of lighting and its tones has been effective in setting scenes and getting the right reactions from the audience.

Elizabeth's father is an influential man who owns the island where the rest of the film is set. He dresses in smart, expensive garments and indulges his daughter in special treatment. The impression is given that he is a single parent due to the absence of a wife. He is quite old, and even though he does hold considerable power, he most probably could be a pushover where his daughter was involved.

Elizabeth is well spoken, suggesting she comes from a wealthy, English family (her father confirms this by his dominating presence on the ship). She is between the ages of 8 - 11 in this first scene, nevertheless, is still self-assured and entirely in charge of her own thoughts. She is portrayed - to an extent - as a tomboy, however, being the 'lady' of the ship, it is deemed a necessity for her utmost protection. This is demonstrated when she claims that she rather likes "the thought of a pirate ship" after an old man is accused of "putting such thoughts into Miss Elizabeth's head." She is obviously seen as mature and dependable, because her father gives her the responsibility of accompanying Will, telling her, he'll be in "Your charge".

Will, on the other hand, is dressed in rags and talks in a much lower class voice than Elizabeth. He is reluctant to give anything away about himself - almost making him intriguing. He has a pirate amulet around his neck, which makes the viewer speculate as to what relationship he has with them. In this first scene, not a great deal of information is given on Will, so we are left guessing at the many situations he could have been in.

There is some kind of relationship right from the start between Will and Elizabeth. She speaks gently to him when introducing herself - almost in a maternal way. There is a significant starting point of the 'romance' when she strokes his hair tenderly, but more importantly when she protects him. She has seen the amulet and assumes he is pirate, however when asked if he'd said anything yet, she replies, "His name's Will Turner, that's all I found out". This shows that the bond between them will always be a special one as she 'saves him from harm' before she's got to know him. Later on in the film, they are equally in love with each other, yet both try denying it. Their reasons for denial are valid ones though, as Will is working class (people of Elizabeth's status did not marry out of their own social circles) and moreover, she has already been proposed to by a more 'suited gentleman'.

The amulet is made to be very important as there are several close ups on it. An amulet can be spiritual or just a good luck charm; in this case, the pirates want it back and it is what the whole storyline is based on. We can assume that Will was in the sea, as the pirates had attacked his ship with the plan to take the amulet and Will. It has more noticeable consequences later on in the film, but the value and meaning of it are still very apparent in this first scene.

The pirates and their ship - The Black Pearl - do, to begin with, have a very traditional front to them. However, alterations have been made to add to the humour of the film. For instance, a monkey has inhabited the captain's shoulder - in a traditional sense, a parrot would be seen instead. This makes them appear slightly unconventional, but for practical reasons, the monkey does take precedence over the parrot! There also seems to be a fair few 'thick' pirates, which again, adds to the funny side, because a stereotypical pirate is always on the ball - ready to catch you out. In later scenes, when the captain is trying to feed Elizabeth poisoned food, he offers her a 'shiny red apple'. This is from the fairytale, 'Sleeping beauty', and he is symbolic to the 'wicked witch'. These variations give the film a memorable side, as they are original and yet still maintain a modern outlook on a film set in history.

The opening of "pirates of the Caribbean" has a good amount of action and enough mystery to make you want to watch on. You feel very much included in the atmosphere and the uncommon occurrence of a young girl on board evokes the feeling that this will not be the only out-of-the-ordinary incident. We think we are fully prepared for the film that follows, as we have met what we assume are all of the main characters. However, we are surprised to see Jack Sparrow - the 3rd main character - several scenes after the opening. He comes in at a time when the film seems to be settling down (and then he shakes it all up again). This irregular journey through the film is what keeps the audience intrigued and guessing. We are told who the enemy is (the pirates) and what is being fought over (the amulet). The opening is captivating and prepares you in an eventful way for the story that comes.