Pirates of the Caribbean – the Curse of the Black Pearl
NORRINGTON By remembering that I serve others, not only myself.
ELIZABETH Commodore, I beg you-please do this … for me. As a wedding gift.
NORRINGTON I am to understand that you will accept my marriage proposal on the condition I rescue Mr. Turner?
ELIZABETH Not as a condition-a request. Norrington considers. To Gillette:
NORRINGTON Free Mister Sparrow, and prepare to come about. He’ll give you our heading. Gillette unlocks Jack’s manacles. Jack raises an eyebrow.
JACK Congratulations, sir. Crew men lead Jack toward the bridge. Sailors go about their tasks, and the ship begins its slow turn.
NORRINGTON Elizabeth, I hereby withdraw my proposal.
ELIZABETH What?
NORRINGTON I know now where your heart truly lies. Elizabeth looks at Norrington, seeing him in a new light.
ELIZABETH And now I know… where yours does, as well. They gaze at each other for a moment. Norrington looks away.
NORRINGTON You may seclude yourself in my cabin. I’m afraid we do not have any ladies’ clothing aboard.
ELIZABETH Then I can wear men’s clothing.
NORRINGTON That would hardly be proper.
ELIZABETH Well, I am not going to stay hidden in a some cabin, 80 I suppose it’s going to be heaving bosoms and bare ankles for the remainder of the voyage! Norrington is exasperated, but then can’t help but grin – this is exactly why he loves her. She grins back at him – she’s not going to change.
NORRINGTON Murtogg, take our guest below, and find her some trousers, and a shirt. Elizabeth smiles, allows herself to be escorted away. Norrington watches her go … then turns his gaze to the sea.
INT. THE BLACK PEARL – BRIG – DAY
Pintel enters the cell. It appears empty-but that’s because Will is hanging from the rafters, trying to shove up the ceiling planks with his legs.
PINTEL That ain’t going to work. That’s the gun deck above yea Will drops lightly to the deck. Suddenly:
WILL What happened to William Turner?
PINTEL Ah, William Turner. Stupid blighter. He threw in with us after we relieved Jack Sparrow of his captaincy, but turned out, it never sat well with himparticularly after we found Cortes’ treasure, and its peculiar condition. He thought we deserved to be cursed, for leaving ol’ Jack to the fate we did. That’s why he sent off a piece of the treasure-to you, as it were: so it would never be recovered, and so cursed we_ remain.
WILL And then he ran. And he’s hiding out someplace where you haven’t been able to find him.
PINTEL That’s a nice thought, to be sure, and I wager your da wishes he’d thought it hisself. But, no. See, what he’d done, _ didn’t sit too well with Captain Barbossa … so he chained a cannon to his legs and dumped him over. Will reacts with shock at the account of his father’s fate.
PINTEL (CONT’D) Yep, last I saw of Bootstrap Bill, was his face looking up, as he sank down to the crushing black oblivion of Davy Jones’ locker. It was only after, we found out we needed his blood to solve the curse. That’s what you call ironic. Barbossa appears behind Pintel, flanked by several other pirates. He regards Will for a moment, then:
BARBOSSA Bring him.
EXT. H. M.. S.. DAUNTLESS – MAIN DECK – EVENING
Jack goes to the rail and waits, pretending to look out at the sea. Elizabeth, dressed in sailor’s clothes to excellent effect, joins him.
ELIZABETH You didn’t tell Commodore Norrington everything.
JACK Nor did you, I noticed.
ELIZABETH He might delay the rescue … and that would be too late.
JACK Exactly.
ELIZABETH These men will be facing an enemy that seemingly cannot be killed.
JACK I have a plan. If it succeeds, then any battle will be decidedly brief … and one-sided.
ELIZABETH What’s your plan?
LAND HO! Isla de Muerta lay dark and menacing on the horizon.
NORRINGTON Elizabeth-below decks. I will not compromise your safety.. She starts to speak; he turns away..
NORRINGTON (CONT’D) Lieutenant, escort Elizabeth to my quarters, and make sure she stays there. Norrington gazes through his spyglass, at the island. Jack watches with some amusement as Elizabeth is escorted away.
NORRINGTON (CONT’D) I don’t like the situation, mister Sparrow. The island is riddled with caves. I will not put my men at a disadvantage.
JACK Funny, I was thinking along those lines. How about you let me go in alone, and while you’re setting up an ambush, I’ll trick the pirates out to you.
NORRINGTON You would do that?
JACK They left me stranded. Twice. What have you got to lose?
NORRINGTON Nothing I wouldn’t be please to be rid of.
JACK I knew you’d listen to reason!
EXT. ISLA DE MUERTA – CAVE ENTRANCE – EVENING
Torches are lit. Barbossa leads Will, guarded by Pintel and a band of pirates, into the caves.
EXT. H.M.S. DAUNTLESS – MAIN DECK – NIGHT
A long boat is prepared to be lowered over the side. Jack wraps his pistol securely in an oilskin pouch.
JACK That chart I drew up’11 get you past the reefs. If you’re steersman’s good enough, that is.
NORRINGTON I’ll be at the wheel myself.
JACK I’ll slip in, talk them into to come out, and you’ll be free to blow holy high heaven the whole lot of them. The crewmen release the lines, and the boat drops – INT. ISLA DE MUERTA – CAVES – NIGHT The pirate group moves deeper into the caves. Will moves along unwillingly.
PINTEL No reason to fret. It’s just a prick of the finger and a few drops of blood.
BARBOSSA Turner blood doesn’t flow pure in his veins. Best play it safe, and spill it all.
PINTEL I guess there is a reason to fret.
EXT. ISLA DE MUERTE – NIGHT
The Dauntless drifts into the lagoon. Norrington and his men prepare to go ashore. h
INT. ISLA DE MUERTA – CAVES – NIGHT
Lit by torchlight. Will notices: a crack runs between the floor and the wall of the cave, widening into a ravine.
BARBOSSA Careful, now. You could fall in and still be wonder’n when you’ll hit dirt. Will makes a decision. He intentionally stumbles. Pintel shoves him forward-Will continues forward, grabs the pirate in front of him, swings him into the wall of the cave. Catches the pirate’s torch, and uses it to ward off the others.
WILL You deserve to be cursed-and remain cursed! He steps to one side-and drops into the ravine. The wall of the ravine becomes a loose gravel slope; Will hits it, and tumbles down, disappears into black.
BARBOSSA Blast him! A pox on him, and his father, and the whole damnable line! Fan out! Find him!
INT. DAUNTLESS – CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS – NIGHT
Elizabeth looks out the Captain’s small porthole-sees boats laden with Navy men headed for shore. She turns away from the porthole, wishing there was something she could do. Suddenly there is a flutter at the window-Cotton’s parrot is there.
COTTON’S PARROT Drink UP me hearties yo ho! Drink UP me hearties yo ho! The bird flutters off; Elizabeth races to the porthole, and then to the stern window to see it flyaway. She looks down-and there, fastened to the stern of the ship, is a small rowboat.
INT. ISLA DEMUERTA – CAVES – NIGHT
Will races forward, turning this way and that. He sees a light ahead, heads for it, turns a corner –and runs straight into Jack.
JACK Do you have any idea where you’re going?
WILL Jack!
JACK Don’t talk. These caves magnify sound. Just follow me.
EXT. ISLA DE MUERTA – THE BEACH – NIGHT
Norrington and men land on the beach, and spread out. They silently take up positions around the main cave entrance.
INT. CAVES – NIGHT
Jack leads Will out of a narrow passage-and stops, staring. Will is a few steps behind.
WILL Are you certain this is the right way?
JACK It’s the right way. Will join him-and see what Jack is staring at: Treasure piled on treasure, sparkling, glowing, seemingly endless. At the center is the moonlit clearing, and the stone Aztec chest.
BARBOSSA Thank you, Jack Sparrow. The jump-Barbossa is standing right behind them, flanked by his men. The trio whirl to run – – more pirates emerge from hiding. Nearly the entire crew of the Black Pearl is there. The pirates grab Will and Jack. Will struggles, but Jack does not fight at all.
BARBOSSA (CONT’D) You couldn’t have led him back more directly if you knew exactly where you were going. He laughs, and moves toward the stone chest. The pirates follow, dragging Will and Jack with them.
WILL You did know where you were going! You did lead us directly to them! Why? Jack looks away-as Will is manhandled toward the chest. Barbo8sa steps up to him (becoming skeletal in the moonlight) and puts the medallion around Will’s neck. He picks up the stone knife.
BARBOSSA What was begun by blood, let blood now end! He raises the knife to Will’s throat – JACK You don’t want to be doing that. Barbossa pretends to think about his words.
BARBOSSA No, I really think I do.
JACK All right then. That makes Barbossa pause. He steps out of the moonlight.
BARBOSSA Why don’t I want to do this?
JACK Because, right about now, the H.M.S. Dauntless is lying in wait in the harbor.
WILL Jack! JACK – – and its guns and crew will cut you and your men to pieces the moment you step outside these caves. A buzz of apprehension sweeps through the pirates.
PINTEL Do you believe him?
BARBOSSA No. But him I believe. He is genuinely angry.
JACK You’ve no hope of surviving Norrington’s attack … that is, if you’re mortal.
BARBOSSA What’re you suggesting? Jack shakes off the hands holding him, strolls toward Barbossa, Will, and the chest of coins.
JACK Simple. Don’t kill the boy yet. Wait for a more opportune moment. Will glares, listening to every word he says. Jack scoops up a handful of coins from the chest.
JACK (CONT’D) (drops the coins one-byone back into the chest) Like after you’ve killed… Every… Last … One … of Norrington’s men.
BARBOSSA I can’t help wondering, Jack, why you’re being so helpful and all? Last time you did that, it didn’t end 80 well for you.
JACK The situation has changed.
