A fan of “Captain Blood,” “The Crimson Pirate,” “The Black Pirate” and other pirate movies in his younger days, Verbinski was sold on the concept. “There’s something rebellious and revolutionary about piracy,” he says. “Pirates came out of a time when things were oppressive and people were hung for simply stealing a piece of bread, so what have you got to lose. For me, the film’s about breaking the rules, and when it’s appropriate to break the rules to get what you want. All the characters ultimately try to obtain their desires through piracy, through the good and the bad aspects of that.”
Elliott and Rossio presented Verbinski their outline, and the director liked what he heard. It was the element of the curse in the story that, in Verbinski’s words, “was really an opportunity to turn the movie on its head and open it up as a genre.
“When I first heard the pitch from Ted and Terry, what I liked about it was that it was a terrific perversion of the classic tale,” says Verbinski. “I came in asking, ‘What is the standard plot structure? Is it a kidnapping? Is it buried treasure?’ When actually, it has all of these qualities, yet the principle one is reversed. It is a film about finding the last piece of treasure and putting it back. Barbossa and his pirates need to return the last piece of cursed treasure so they can feel the pleasures of the flesh-and-blood world. The curse has allowed Barbossa and his pirates to keep the currency and to continue their villainy, but they’re not able to enjoy it.”
Verbinski began prepping and storyboarding the movie from Elliott and Rossio’s outline. “It’s no way to prep a movie, especially one that’s shot on water,” the director laughs. “We just kind of hit the ground running. It was chaos.”
Governor Weatherby Swann, portrayed by veteran actor Jonathan Pryce, has his hands full trying to raise his rather unconventional, bold and sometimes downright audacious daughter. He copes by arranging her marriage to the newly appointed commander of the British Naval Fleet in Port Royal, Commodore Norrington, played by Jack Davenport.
“Elizabeth’s father expects her to marry someone of her own stature,” says Verbinski. “Jonathan Pryce does an excellent job. He’s not just the arrogant British governor, he’s also the concerned father who’s trying to do the best he can for his daughter.”
“It’s clear I haven’t brought her up very well,” says Pryce in the regretful voice of his character. “Elizabeth is adventurous and refuses to toe the line, and for some unknown reason, she’s very attracted to pirates. Will Turner’s prospects aren’t very good and I’d be much happier if she married Norrington because she’d have a great future as a commodore’s wife.”
Like many of the actors involved in the film, Pryce was attracted by the script, which he says contained “a good deal of wit and intelligence… a great story,” and by the Caribbean location. “I’ve vacationed here over the years. It’s a delight to work in,” he says. “And the Golden Age of Piracy happened right here.”
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