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The trilogy's themes and message on freedom is, of course, divided into three parts for the three movies. The first movie is about introducing us to the raw power of freedom and the flexibility of mind that it also provides, and also that sometimes, in order to get something done, the established order must be overlooked. The second one shows what happens when we take freedom too far. When there's not enough responsibility. And then the third one is where freedom and responsibility both meet in the middle to form something better than just one or the other alone.
Now I'm going to run through the first movie very in depth, and then the last two as quickly as possible in order to set a foundation for what I'm talking about but also to explain everything as quick as possible, but if you just wanted the super Cliff Notes version, then you can just exit out of the thread here now.
Alright, still with me? Let's continue now to our first movie.
In the first movie, it starts out mostly quaint. Elizabeth does have an exciting run-in with a supposed pirate when she is young, and she is first introduced to one of the coins, but otherwise, things are pretty run-of-the-mill for a long while. At least until the port comes under siege by a mysterious force who seems both better equipped and much more capable than anyone in the port. Elizabeth tries to stop this by employing something she knows about pirates, but it backfires on her because she doesn't really understand that culture and way of life yet.
Will Turner afterwards tries to go to the authorities for help in getting her back, and while they are doing their best to find her, Will knows that they're clearly out of their league and are too stuck in the old ordered ways to be of much help at all. Note that Commodore Norrington is a metaphorical force of order here. This will be important later.
Now, Will Turner's a good guy. He's a productive member of society. He's clearly skilled in his chosen profession, but he also has a whole lot of passion behind him, and he's at least intelligent enough to know that the law and order that he adhered to for so long before is simply not going to help him here. So, he makes a huge decision. He goes to a pirate that he knows is locked up in prison right now awaiting some cruel fate and breaks him out.
Ok, so now we have Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack is actually a pretty simple character to understand. He's a (generally) good guy, but he hates people telling him what to do. He wants to do what he wants to do and is willing to go outside the bounds and lines to get what he wants. He's also a very intellectually agile fellow. Coincidentally, exactly the kind of person that Will needs in order to get Elizabeth back, though Will would hate to admit it.
After this, we are given our first introduction to the power that going outside of the lines, both in a law sense and in a mental sense, gives. And it's a damn heady thrill as well to be sure. And right after that, we are also given our first little taste of the dark side of all that freedom. "What a man can do, and what a man can't do." When you throw off all those bounds and laws and order, things become reduced all the way to something very elemental. Who has power and who doesn't. End of story. There is nothing else that matters then. Oh, that's unfair? Too bad! Get power of your own then, or become entirely at the mercy of those who do have it.
Traveling away from Will and Jack for a moment, we shift our attention back to Elizabeth (who's been captured) and the mysterious pirate crew. Once again, she is given an incredibly blunt reminder by Barbossa, the head of the crew, that she is out of her depth here and doesn't know what she's got herself into. Will is starting to get the picture, and now it's Elizabeth's turn, but in a different more unpleasant way. Now, let's talk about the coins for a second.
The coins are, I think, one of the coolest metaphors for freedom in PotC that I've seen. Run afoul of them and not take them seriously, and you will suffer greatly. But if you are willing to do your due diligence first and learn about them and take them seriously, then the curse on them can instead become a very powerful asset. But you must have the right mindset and the right mental fluidity to really utilize the coins to their fullest potential. We'll see this put into practice later on here.
Let's fast-forward now to the Isla de Muerta. The origin point of the coins. Cannot be pinpointed on a map at all except by those who already know where it is. This shows us the value of information, and information people don't know about is also one of the advantages that exercising freedom brings. When you're willing to go off the map, metaphorically speaking, you will find things not usually known, and it is then up to you as to how you wish to handle that information.
Will and Jack finally catch up to Barbossa and his crew and approach them in stealth. Now, earlier on, it was told by Barbossa to Elizabeth that the only way to end their curse is through her blood, though they now find that it's not actually her blood that is needed. Once again, we see the power of information. Barbossa doesn't have it. Jack does. And when Jack is betrayed by Will due to mistrust and left behind, Jack uses that knowledge to his advantage.
Of course though, that knowledge only saves Jack's life. Barbossa still needs that coin and Elizabeth has taken it with her when Will rescued her. This puts her, Will, and his crew directly in Barbossa's crosshairs. Once again, we see that it comes down to who has the power and who doesn't. Barbossa wins the skirmish, though Will is beginning to understand how to use the power of information as well, and he uses it, if particularly clumsily, to at least secure ("ELIZABETH GOES FREE!") Elizabeth's and Jack's freedom.
Elizabeth and Jack are both picked up shortly after by the Royal Navy, but before that happens, Elizabeth gives in to abandon for the first and only time in the trilogy. And while she initially likes it, she does realize later that such abandon doesn't suit her. Doesn't sit right with her even when it seems there's no hope left. She needs to keep trying and fighting for what she wants, no matter how hopeless the cause seems. Anyway though, returning to the Royal Navy and company, Elizabeth is actually able to persuade Norrington to aid her in getting Will back, though the deal is hard won by Elizabeth needing to promise marriage to Norrington.
And with that, Norrington, with the help of Jack, set off, but at Jack's recommendation, decide to lock Elizabeth up in a cabin until the fighting's over. While this may initially seem like a good idea, we also see that Norrington and the Royal Navy are still not keen on taking the threats Elizabeth is talking about seriously. Again, they underestimate the power that freedom brings and set at naught any knowledge linked to that. (Why they're all weak, filthy, undisciplined pirates! Nothing more!) This mental rigidity will cost them lives very shortly here.
So, Jack tells Norrington to lay an ambush while he goes in and persuades Barbossa to come out. But it seems Jack has different plans here, as, when he goes in, he makes a deal with Barbossa before Barbossa lifts the curse, which Will witnesses. Barbossa does come out of the caves, but, not trusting Jack too much, decides to come out of the caves underwater approaching the main ship, taking advantage once again of the power and knowledge he and his crew has.
This proves disasterous for the Royal Navy though Elizabeth manages to escape in a boat to the caves. But when it seems the battle is won by Barbossa and the game is over, Jack suddenly double-crosses Barbossa and attempts to lift the curse. Barbossa does get a hearty stab on Jack, but it seems Jack is still one step ahead of Barbossa, having taken one of the coins for himself while he was negotiating with Barbossa and making himself immortal as well. Again, and for the last time, the power of the coins properly utilized. Elizabeth joins the fray too, helping Will out, and with all three of their efforts, they are successful in finally lifting the curse on everyone entirely and killing Barbossa. With that, Barbossa's crew is also defeated and the day is won.
... Though due to Jack's past crimes and because of government bearaucracy, Jack was not able to be pardoned. Will then makes a desperate attempt to save Jack but is sadly unsuccessful. Though when confronting Norrington and Governor Swan about his actions, he comes out with this absolute banger of a quote. "If all I've accomplished here today is that the hangman will have earned two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear." Will knows where he needs to stand. Thankfully, this convinces both Norrington and Governor Swan to let both Jack and Will go. Elizabeth also confesses to Norrington that she loves Will and wishes to stand with him no matter where that might lead her.
And so, Jack is reunited with his crew and the ship he used to own. He finds that he is once more, as he so deeply desired, in control of his own destiny again. All is well. Everyone lived happily ever after.
Or did they...
Will Turner afterwards tries to go to the authorities for help in getting her back, and while they are doing their best to find her, Will knows that they're clearly out of their league and are too stuck in the old ordered ways to be of much help at all. Note that Commodore Norrington is a metaphorical force of order here. This will be important later.
Now, Will Turner's a good guy. He's a productive member of society. He's clearly skilled in his chosen profession, but he also has a whole lot of passion behind him, and he's at least intelligent enough to know that the law and order that he adhered to for so long before is simply not going to help him here. So, he makes a huge decision. He goes to a pirate that he knows is locked up in prison right now awaiting some cruel fate and breaks him out.
Ok, so now we have Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack is actually a pretty simple character to understand. He's a (generally) good guy, but he hates people telling him what to do. He wants to do what he wants to do and is willing to go outside the bounds and lines to get what he wants. He's also a very intellectually agile fellow. Coincidentally, exactly the kind of person that Will needs in order to get Elizabeth back, though Will would hate to admit it.
After this, we are given our first introduction to the power that going outside of the lines, both in a law sense and in a mental sense, gives. And it's a damn heady thrill as well to be sure. And right after that, we are also given our first little taste of the dark side of all that freedom. "What a man can do, and what a man can't do." When you throw off all those bounds and laws and order, things become reduced all the way to something very elemental. Who has power and who doesn't. End of story. There is nothing else that matters then. Oh, that's unfair? Too bad! Get power of your own then, or become entirely at the mercy of those who do have it.
Traveling away from Will and Jack for a moment, we shift our attention back to Elizabeth (who's been captured) and the mysterious pirate crew. Once again, she is given an incredibly blunt reminder by Barbossa, the head of the crew, that she is out of her depth here and doesn't know what she's got herself into. Will is starting to get the picture, and now it's Elizabeth's turn, but in a different more unpleasant way. Now, let's talk about the coins for a second.
The coins are, I think, one of the coolest metaphors for freedom in PotC that I've seen. Run afoul of them and not take them seriously, and you will suffer greatly. But if you are willing to do your due diligence first and learn about them and take them seriously, then the curse on them can instead become a very powerful asset. But you must have the right mindset and the right mental fluidity to really utilize the coins to their fullest potential. We'll see this put into practice later on here.
Let's fast-forward now to the Isla de Muerta. The origin point of the coins. Cannot be pinpointed on a map at all except by those who already know where it is. This shows us the value of information, and information people don't know about is also one of the advantages that exercising freedom brings. When you're willing to go off the map, metaphorically speaking, you will find things not usually known, and it is then up to you as to how you wish to handle that information.
Will and Jack finally catch up to Barbossa and his crew and approach them in stealth. Now, earlier on, it was told by Barbossa to Elizabeth that the only way to end their curse is through her blood, though they now find that it's not actually her blood that is needed. Once again, we see the power of information. Barbossa doesn't have it. Jack does. And when Jack is betrayed by Will due to mistrust and left behind, Jack uses that knowledge to his advantage.
Of course though, that knowledge only saves Jack's life. Barbossa still needs that coin and Elizabeth has taken it with her when Will rescued her. This puts her, Will, and his crew directly in Barbossa's crosshairs. Once again, we see that it comes down to who has the power and who doesn't. Barbossa wins the skirmish, though Will is beginning to understand how to use the power of information as well, and he uses it, if particularly clumsily, to at least secure ("ELIZABETH GOES FREE!") Elizabeth's and Jack's freedom.
Elizabeth and Jack are both picked up shortly after by the Royal Navy, but before that happens, Elizabeth gives in to abandon for the first and only time in the trilogy. And while she initially likes it, she does realize later that such abandon doesn't suit her. Doesn't sit right with her even when it seems there's no hope left. She needs to keep trying and fighting for what she wants, no matter how hopeless the cause seems. Anyway though, returning to the Royal Navy and company, Elizabeth is actually able to persuade Norrington to aid her in getting Will back, though the deal is hard won by Elizabeth needing to promise marriage to Norrington.
And with that, Norrington, with the help of Jack, set off, but at Jack's recommendation, decide to lock Elizabeth up in a cabin until the fighting's over. While this may initially seem like a good idea, we also see that Norrington and the Royal Navy are still not keen on taking the threats Elizabeth is talking about seriously. Again, they underestimate the power that freedom brings and set at naught any knowledge linked to that. (Why they're all weak, filthy, undisciplined pirates! Nothing more!) This mental rigidity will cost them lives very shortly here.
So, Jack tells Norrington to lay an ambush while he goes in and persuades Barbossa to come out. But it seems Jack has different plans here, as, when he goes in, he makes a deal with Barbossa before Barbossa lifts the curse, which Will witnesses. Barbossa does come out of the caves, but, not trusting Jack too much, decides to come out of the caves underwater approaching the main ship, taking advantage once again of the power and knowledge he and his crew has.
This proves disasterous for the Royal Navy though Elizabeth manages to escape in a boat to the caves. But when it seems the battle is won by Barbossa and the game is over, Jack suddenly double-crosses Barbossa and attempts to lift the curse. Barbossa does get a hearty stab on Jack, but it seems Jack is still one step ahead of Barbossa, having taken one of the coins for himself while he was negotiating with Barbossa and making himself immortal as well. Again, and for the last time, the power of the coins properly utilized. Elizabeth joins the fray too, helping Will out, and with all three of their efforts, they are successful in finally lifting the curse on everyone entirely and killing Barbossa. With that, Barbossa's crew is also defeated and the day is won.
... Though due to Jack's past crimes and because of government bearaucracy, Jack was not able to be pardoned. Will then makes a desperate attempt to save Jack but is sadly unsuccessful. Though when confronting Norrington and Governor Swan about his actions, he comes out with this absolute banger of a quote. "If all I've accomplished here today is that the hangman will have earned two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear." Will knows where he needs to stand. Thankfully, this convinces both Norrington and Governor Swan to let both Jack and Will go. Elizabeth also confesses to Norrington that she loves Will and wishes to stand with him no matter where that might lead her.
And so, Jack is reunited with his crew and the ship he used to own. He finds that he is once more, as he so deeply desired, in control of his own destiny again. All is well. Everyone lived happily ever after.
Or did they...
Dead Man's Chest opens rather grimly, setting the tone for the rest of the film rather nicely. The movie takes place shortly after The Curse of the Black Pearl. Elizabeth was about to be married to Will, but as a thunderstorm comes in, it brings with it a very unpleasant person to say the least. Lord Cutler Beckett. Not just from a filmwatcher's perspective, but in the movie universe itself, he seems to come out of nowhere. Barely anyone knows who he even is or why he's demanding what he's demanding. But they will.
So, let's talk about this man for a bit. Beckett is one of the best villains I've ever seen. Smart and cunning enough to be deeply entertaining to watch, and also just utterly villainous enough to make you want to kill him badly at the same time. But what does he represent... ? Well, Cutler represents law and order. Specifically, corrupted law and order. And this time, Cutler knows EXACTLY what he's dealing with here in terms of freedom and pirates both. He's no Governor Swan or even Commodore Norrington. He knows all the underhanded tricks and tools of the trade. But as awful as he is, he DOES know how to keep things in line. He knows how to not just have order and organization, but how to have an iron grip on everyone and everything. And as things currently stand among the pirates, he's a walking death sentence for them, both literally and metaphorically.
Now, let's talk about debt and responsibility. These two themes are huge in this movie. Basically, there are things in our lives that we need to do. We need to be productive (as much as we can). We need to be honest. We need to practice critical thinking and live independently. And we need to make sure that we help our fellow man as much as we are able. When we put these things off, we begin to incur debt, literally and metaphorically, both as individuals and as a group. It doesn't have to be a literal debt-holder that you owe money or favors to. Maybe perhaps you don't floss at all. You keep putting it off and putting it off, but sooner or later, reality WILL catch up to you, and that debt's going to be paid. Whether someone pays off debt in time and work or in pain and death, reality isn't picky. Someone's going to pay though, regardless.
Ok, so let's come back to our pirates here. As the movie progresses, we see them seeking for solutions in the usual piratey individualistic way. They want a fix-it-all solution where they can wave a (somewhat) metaphorical magic wand and not have to take any responsibility for their actions. They're going to do it THEIR way and nobody can stop them! With Beckett and Davy Jones though, they can and will be stopped. The usual tricks of the trade and the regular hiding places are not going to work anymore. The enemy knows them and is tracking their every move. Nevertheless, our piratey friends here thrown caution to the winds repeatedly, regardless of the subtle warnings they've gotten throughout, continuing on with their selfishness.
As we can see at the end though, this culminates in utter disaster with the Black Pearl lost, the Heart in Beckett's hands, and Jack having been killed by the Kraken finally. It is worth noting that in the end though, Jack learns to face his responsibility and debt head-on and be the man he needs to be. This lesson is, sadly, learned too late, but is nevertheless admirable.
So, let's talk about this man for a bit. Beckett is one of the best villains I've ever seen. Smart and cunning enough to be deeply entertaining to watch, and also just utterly villainous enough to make you want to kill him badly at the same time. But what does he represent... ? Well, Cutler represents law and order. Specifically, corrupted law and order. And this time, Cutler knows EXACTLY what he's dealing with here in terms of freedom and pirates both. He's no Governor Swan or even Commodore Norrington. He knows all the underhanded tricks and tools of the trade. But as awful as he is, he DOES know how to keep things in line. He knows how to not just have order and organization, but how to have an iron grip on everyone and everything. And as things currently stand among the pirates, he's a walking death sentence for them, both literally and metaphorically.
Now, let's talk about debt and responsibility. These two themes are huge in this movie. Basically, there are things in our lives that we need to do. We need to be productive (as much as we can). We need to be honest. We need to practice critical thinking and live independently. And we need to make sure that we help our fellow man as much as we are able. When we put these things off, we begin to incur debt, literally and metaphorically, both as individuals and as a group. It doesn't have to be a literal debt-holder that you owe money or favors to. Maybe perhaps you don't floss at all. You keep putting it off and putting it off, but sooner or later, reality WILL catch up to you, and that debt's going to be paid. Whether someone pays off debt in time and work or in pain and death, reality isn't picky. Someone's going to pay though, regardless.
Ok, so let's come back to our pirates here. As the movie progresses, we see them seeking for solutions in the usual piratey individualistic way. They want a fix-it-all solution where they can wave a (somewhat) metaphorical magic wand and not have to take any responsibility for their actions. They're going to do it THEIR way and nobody can stop them! With Beckett and Davy Jones though, they can and will be stopped. The usual tricks of the trade and the regular hiding places are not going to work anymore. The enemy knows them and is tracking their every move. Nevertheless, our piratey friends here thrown caution to the winds repeatedly, regardless of the subtle warnings they've gotten throughout, continuing on with their selfishness.
As we can see at the end though, this culminates in utter disaster with the Black Pearl lost, the Heart in Beckett's hands, and Jack having been killed by the Kraken finally. It is worth noting that in the end though, Jack learns to face his responsibility and debt head-on and be the man he needs to be. This lesson is, sadly, learned too late, but is nevertheless admirable.
Alright, the pirates have finally got a clue now. Running around being selfish, skirting responsibility, and doing the usual pirate things is not going to work. They got that message real loud and clear. They come to realize sooner or later throughout the third movie that they really do need to start banding together to take down the massive threat that Beckett is. But there's still problems. Specifically, after years of the usual selfishness and anarchy, nobody trusts each other. Unfortunately, they try to half-ass it again. This leads them down the same doomed path that they followed in the second movie, BUT they finally realize what they're doing before it's too late midway through. BUT in order to get them out of the pit they were in, Commodore Norrington has to sacrifice himself, finally learning to let go of his mental rigidity and do the right thing.
This all finally culminates in Calypso being freed and giving them something they greatly needed. An even playing field. But it is very important to note though that they were only able to get this far because everyone worked together. If it wasn't for Norrington, Elizabeth and the crew wouldn't have been able to escape. If it wasn't for Will, Jack wouldn't be on The Flying Dutchman. If it wasn't for Elizabeth, the pirates would not have fought but instead would have died a slow death. If it wasn't for Will, the chest wouldn't have been secured. If it wasn't for Barbossa, Calypso would not be able to be freed. If it wasn't for Zhao Feng, Elizabeth would not have been made a captain, and later, a pirate king. Everyone had to contribute towards the greater whole.
And now, after all their hard work, the pirate forces stand before the edge of an abyss, about to do battle with the flagship of tyranny and corrupted order. This finally brings us full circle to what this entire trilogy is about. Freedom, and fighting for the right to have it, and how to use it effectively and responsibly. Elizabeth also comes out with a banger quote to sum it all up.
"You will listen to me! LISTEN! The other ships will still be looking to us, to the Black Pearl, to lead, and what will they see? Frightened bilge rats aboard a derelict ship? No, no. They will see free men. And freedom! And what the enemy will see, they will see the flash of our cannons, and they will hear the ringing of our swords, and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brow and the strength of our backs and the courage in our hearts!
Gentlemen... Hoist the colors."
Before, the pirates were split up and in disarray, but now, they are united in responsibility and in fighting for freedom. And through their power and their efforts combined, they come off completely victorious, even going so far as to utterly tear apart the Endeavor along with Beckett in one fell swoop. And with that, their freedom is finally won and earned.
But there is one last thing. A last price to be paid. And it comes to Will to pay it, sadly. Again, debts must be paid. You don't get something for nothing. There must be sacrifice. Will Turner (and all those that died trying to achieve freedom) acted as that price. That sacrifice to keep their freedom out of the hands of people like Beckett and Davy Jones. And that is the lesson for today. Learn it well, lads.
This all finally culminates in Calypso being freed and giving them something they greatly needed. An even playing field. But it is very important to note though that they were only able to get this far because everyone worked together. If it wasn't for Norrington, Elizabeth and the crew wouldn't have been able to escape. If it wasn't for Will, Jack wouldn't be on The Flying Dutchman. If it wasn't for Elizabeth, the pirates would not have fought but instead would have died a slow death. If it wasn't for Will, the chest wouldn't have been secured. If it wasn't for Barbossa, Calypso would not be able to be freed. If it wasn't for Zhao Feng, Elizabeth would not have been made a captain, and later, a pirate king. Everyone had to contribute towards the greater whole.
And now, after all their hard work, the pirate forces stand before the edge of an abyss, about to do battle with the flagship of tyranny and corrupted order. This finally brings us full circle to what this entire trilogy is about. Freedom, and fighting for the right to have it, and how to use it effectively and responsibly. Elizabeth also comes out with a banger quote to sum it all up.
"You will listen to me! LISTEN! The other ships will still be looking to us, to the Black Pearl, to lead, and what will they see? Frightened bilge rats aboard a derelict ship? No, no. They will see free men. And freedom! And what the enemy will see, they will see the flash of our cannons, and they will hear the ringing of our swords, and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brow and the strength of our backs and the courage in our hearts!
Gentlemen... Hoist the colors."
Before, the pirates were split up and in disarray, but now, they are united in responsibility and in fighting for freedom. And through their power and their efforts combined, they come off completely victorious, even going so far as to utterly tear apart the Endeavor along with Beckett in one fell swoop. And with that, their freedom is finally won and earned.
But there is one last thing. A last price to be paid. And it comes to Will to pay it, sadly. Again, debts must be paid. You don't get something for nothing. There must be sacrifice. Will Turner (and all those that died trying to achieve freedom) acted as that price. That sacrifice to keep their freedom out of the hands of people like Beckett and Davy Jones. And that is the lesson for today. Learn it well, lads.
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