Pirates of the Caribbean – the Curse of the Black Pearl
JACK Miss Swann, if you’ll be so kind? She takes the belt and pistol from Norrington-Jack’s quicker than she is, and takes the pistol from her. He jerks her around so she is facing him, belly to belly.
JACK (CONT’D) Now, if you’ll be very kind? She figures out what he wants: put the belt on him.
ELIZABETH You are despicable.
JACK I saved your life; now you’ve saved mine. We’re square. Done. He turns her again, and then backs up until he bumps against the cargo gantry.
JACK (CONT’D) Gentleman. .. m’ lady. .. you will always remember this as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow. He shoves Elizabeth away, grabs a rope and pulls free a belaying pin-a counterweight drops and Jack is lifted up to the middle of the gantry, where he grabs a second rope – Pistols fire-and miss. Jack swings out, out, out, away and around from the gantry. Norrington has held his shot. With careful aim, he tracks Jack’s trajectory- Jack drops from the rope even as Norrington FIRES. His shot tears the rope –as Jack plummets past one of the gantry’s guy lines, he snaps the length of manacle chain over the line and grabs hold of the far loop-slides down the line –drops to the deck of a ship. He runs, leaping to another ship, then out of sight – NORRINGTON On his heels! Gillette, bring a squad down from the fort! Elizabeth, are you – ELIZABETH Yes, I’m all right, I’m fine! Go capture him. Norrington’s taken aback by her ire, and wisely hurries away. Swann drapes his coat around Elizabeth.
SWANN Here, dear … you should wear this. Elizabeth shivers, finding suddenly that she is cold. Glances out at the bay –where a THICK FOG moves across the top of the water. She takes the jacket.
ELIZABETH Thank you, Father … and let that be the last of your fashion advice, please. But she accepts his comforting embrace.
EXT. PORT ROYAL – TOWN – ALLEY – DAY
The fog creeps through, casting an eerie twilight pall. An armed search party moves along the street. They glance down an alley- On the far side is another search party. The men nod to each other, continue on. A moment, and then Jack drops from his hiding place beneath the eaves of a building. He still wears the manacles. Across the street is a shop with barn doors, a pass-thru door set in the middle. Above is a sign with a black anvil.
INT. BLACKSMITH’S FORGE – DAY
Jack slips in through the door, takes a look around: No windows. The forge is dark, lit by lanterns. Work-inprogress is scattered about: wagon wheels, wrought iron gates, pipes-even a cannon with a crack in it. But every tool is in place; the workbench is tidy and neat. Jack is startled by a noise: MISTER BROWN, in a blacksmith’s apron, snores in the corner, cradling a bottle. Jack gives him a hard poke. Another. Brown snorts, turns away. Satisfied, Jack sheathes his sword, takes a short-handled sledge from its place on the wall. Moves to the glowing coke furnace in the middle of the room. Slowly… he holds his right hand over the furnace, the chain down in the embers. The chain begins to GLOW. Jack sweats, grimaces at the pain – Moving quickly, he wraps the chain around the nose of an anvil, brings the sledge down with a fast, hard stroke on the glowing links. One SHATTERS. Jack drops the sledge, plunges his manacled hand in a bucket of water. Steam billows. Jack pulls his hand out, flexes it. Blisters form beneath the manacle-but his hands are free. The SOUND of the latch on the door-Jack dives for cover. Will enters the forge, shuts the door behind him. Spots the drunken Mister Brown in the corner.
WILL Right where I left you. Something catches his eye: an empty peg on the wall. The sledge lying beside the anvil.
WILL (CONT’D) Not where I left you. He moves casually toward the sledge. Then grabs for it-but the flat of a sword blade slaps his hand. Will jumps back. Jack stands there, sword leveled at Will. He backs Will up, toward the door. Will glares at him.
WILL (CONT’ D) You’re the one they’re hunting. The pirate. Jack acknowledges it with a tip of his head … then frowns, regards Will.
JACK You look familiar … Have I ever threatened you before?
WILL I’ve made a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates.
JACK Ah. Then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record. So if you’ll excuse me … Beside the door is a grindstone, a sword resting in the honing guide. Before Jack can react, Will has it in hand.
JACK (CONT’D) Do you think this is wise, boy? Crossing blades with a pirate?
WILL You threatened Miss Swann.
JACK Only a little. In response, Will assumes an en garde position. Jack appraises him, unhappy to see Will knows what he’s doing. Jack attacks. The two men stand in one place, trading feints, thrusts and parries with lightning speed, almost impossible to follow. Will has no trouble matching Jack.
JACK (CONT’D) You know what you’re doing, I’ll give you that … Excellent form … But how’s your footwork? If I step here – He takes a step around an imaginary circle. Will steps the other way, maintaining his relationship to Jack.
JACK (CONT’D) Very good! And if I step again, you step again. . . (continuing to step around the circle) And so we circle, circle, like dogs we circle. . . They are now exactly opposite their initial positions.
JACK (CONT’D) Ta! Jack turns and heads for the door, now directly behind him. Will registers angry surprise-and then with a vicious overhand motion, he throws his sword –the sword buries itself into the door, just above the latch, barely missing Jack. Jack registers it, then pulls on the latch, but it won’t move up-the sword is in the way. Jack rattles the latch. Tugs on the sword a few times-it is really stuck in there. Jack mouths a curse, but when he turns back to Will, he’s smiling.
JACK (CONT’ D) That’s a good trick. Except, once again, you are between me and the way out. (points his sword at the back door) And now you have no weapon. Eyes on Jack, Will simply picks up a new sword from an anvil. Jack slumps in dismay-but then leaps forward. Will and Jack duel. Their blades flash and ring. Suddenly, Jack swings the chain still manacled to his left hand at Will’s head. Will ducks it, comes up wide-eyed. Then Jack’s chain smashes across Will’s sword, disarming him. Will quickly picks up another sword. Jack becomes aware that the entire room is filled with bladed weapons: swords, knives, boarding axes in various stages of completion.
JACK (CONT’D) Who makes all these?
WILL I do. And I practice with them. At least three hours a day.
JACK You need to find yourself a girl. Or maybe the reason you practice three hours a day is you’ve found one-but can’t get her? A direct hit-and Will coils even more tightly with anger.
WILL No. I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate … I can kill him. He explodes: kicks a rack, causing a sword to fall into his hand; uses his foot to bring his dropped sword into the air, catches it-and attacks Jack, both blades flashing. Jack parries with sword and chain. Jack’s chain wraps around Will’s sword; Will twists the handle of his guard through a link, and stabs the sword up into the ceiling – So Jack’s manacled left arm is now suspended from the ceiling. Not good. He parries using one hand, twisting and dodging around the furnace – Jack compresses the bellows, blowing a SHOWER OF SPARKS into Will’s face. Jack grabs the chain, hoists himself up, kicks with his feet, knocking Will back. Jack uses his full weight, yanks the sword from the ceiling. Hurls a wooden mallet at Will, then a second, hitting Will on the wrist. Will drops his sword, falls down, gets up – Jack’s pistol is aimed directly between Will’s eyes. Will steps back, directly in front of the back exit. Glares, rubs his wrist gingerly.
WILL (CONT’D) You cheated.
JACK Pirate. Jack steps forward. Will steps back, fully blocking the door.
JACK (CONT’D) Move away.
WILL No.
JACK Move!
WILL No. I can not just step aside and let you escape. Jack cocks the pistol. Will stares back. The stand-off lasts for a long moment.
JACK You’re lucky, boy-this shot’s not meant for you. Jack uncocks the pistol. Will is surprised, reassesses Jack – Suddenly, Mister Brown SLAMS his bottle against Jack’s skull. Jack crumples to the ground. The front and back doors smash open, and SAILORS fill the room. Norrington pushes forward, sees Jack on the ground.
NORRINGTON Excellent work, Mister Brown. You’ve aided in the capture of a dangerous fugitive.
BROWN Just doing my civic duty. Jack groans. Norrington stands over him, smiles.
NORRINGTON I believe you will always remember this as the day Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped. Norrington’s men haul Jack away. Will watches them go. Brown looks at his bottle-broken.
BROWN That ratter broke my bottle.
EXT. PORT ROYAL – NIGHT
The thick fog blankets the entire bay now, and the town. The only structure visible is Fort Charles, high on the bluff, like a tall ship sailing a sea of grey. Above the Fort is a clear black sky sprinkled with stars. A waxing moon shines, giving both Fort and fog an eerie glow.
ANGLE – FORT CHARLES,
just below the stone parapets of the fort, visible briefly deep in the fog, like a shark fin slicing through the water: the TOPMAST of a ship, BLACK SAILS billowing. Flying from the mast is a flag with white Aztec skull. The Black Pearl has come to Port Royal.
INT. GOVERNOR’S MANSION – ELIZABETH’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
A maid removes a bed warmer from the fireplace, slides it between the sheets at the end of Elizabeth’s bed.
ELIZABETH Nice and toasty. Thank you, Estrellia. The maid nods, exits. Elizabeth opens a book, begins reading, toying absently with the medallion chain around her neck. The lamp flame begins to diminish. Elizabeth tries to turn it up. No good. The flame goes out, and the room is black.
INT. BLACKSMITH’S FORGE – NIGHT
Will, shirtless, wearing a leather apron, heats an iron ingot at the furnace, hammers it flat-he stops. His attention is drawn to the window. He opens the shutter and peers out-nothing but fog. Almost without noticing, he reaches for a boarding axe hanging on the wall. Takes it down; it has a satisfying weight in his hands.
INT. CELL BLOCK – NIGHT
CLOSE ON: A mutt of a dog, holding a ring of keys in his
mouth. Three seedy-looking prisoners try to coax the dog to their cell door. One holds a loop of rope; another waggles a bone. The dog just sits and cocks its head.
PRISONER Come here, boy… Want a nice, juicy bone? In an adjoining cell, Jack lies on a pile of straw.
JACK You can keep doing that forever, that dog’s never going to move.
PRISONER Excuse us if we ain’t resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet.
EXT. FORT CHARLES – PARAPETS – NIGHT
A noose hangs from a gallows in the courtyard. Norrington and Swann walk along the far wall.
SWANN Has my daughter given you an answer yet?
NORRINGTON No. She hasn’t.
SWANN Well, she had a taxing day… Ghastly weather tonight.
NORRINGTON Bleak. Very bleak. From the distance, there is a BOOM – SWANN What was that?-and then the WHISTLE of an incoming ball-NORRINGTON Cannon fire! He tackles Swann as the wall of the parapet EXPLODES-INT. CELL BLOCK – NIGHT Jack sits up. There are more BOOMS – JACK I know those guns! He peers out through the bars of the window. The other prisoners crowd around their window as well.
JACK (CONT’D) It’s the Black Pearl.
PRISONER The Black Pearl? I’ve heard stories … she’s been preying on ships and settlements for near ten years … and never leaves any survivors.
JACK There are a lot of stories about the Black Pearl.
EXT. PORT ROYAL – HARBOR – NIGHT
The Black Pearl still cannot be seen-but the fog lights up around her with each boom of her guns. She’s firing on both sides now, hammering both the fort and the town.
EXT. PORT ROYAL – TOWN – NIGHT
Streets, buildings, docks and ships shatter and explode beneath the onslaught. Villagers panic, run for cover, dodge flying debris as best they can. If this is not hell on earth, then it’s about to be–long boats emerge out of the fog, carrying ARMED PIRATES. They swarm from the boats, striking down ,villagers indiscriminately and setting fires.
INT. BLACKSMITH’S FORGE – NIGHT
Will slips the boarding axe into his belt at the small of his back. He puts a dirk in his belt, then a second and a third. He picks up a second axe and a sword. Will slides back the doors of the forge-A woman runs past, chased by a ONE-ARMED PIRATE wearing a yellow bandeau. Will backhands the axe square into his chest, a deadly blow. Will heads out, up the street-EXT. FORT CHARLES – PARAPETS – NIGHT The moon is obscured by smoke rising from the burning gallows and wooden roofs. Cannon fire continues to rain down, but the fort’s own cannons now return fire.
NORRINGTON Governor! Barricade yourself in my office! That’s an order! Swann turns to go-but finds himself face-to-face with a pirate-KOEHLER, a handsome blond man with gold earrings. Beyond Koehler, more pirates come up over the far wall. Koehler grins and raises a cutlass –Norrington’s sword blocks Koehler’s slash.
NORRINGTON (CONT’D) They’ve flanked us! Men! Swords and pistols! The battle is joined-INT. GOVERNOR’S MANSION – ELIZABETH f S BEDROOM – NIGHT Elizabeth looks out a window at the scene below: even through the fog, multiple fires are visible, and ships burn in the harbor. Shouts and cries of pain. Cannon fire ECHOES. She notices movement directly below her window: two SHADOWY FIGURES, approaching the house-pirates. Elizabeth bolts from her room-INT. SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY – NIGHT She reaches the railing overlooking the foyer, and cries out, just as the butler opens the door-too late; there is the BOOM of a gun, and the butler crumples. Elizabeth ducks down in horror, peering through the balusters. The pirates scan the foyer, searching. The leader is PINTEL, a sallow-looking pirate with a bald head. Suddenly Pintel looks up, and locks eyes with Elizabeth. How could he know she was there?
PINTEL Up there! The pirates rush for the stairs. Elizabeth scrambles back into the nearest room-INT. SITTING ROOM – NIGHT Elizabeth shuts the door, locks it, listens as the pirates pound up the stairs-ESTRELLA Miss Elizabeth? Elizabeth jumps. Estrella is right behind her, terrified. They whisper:
ESTRELLA (CONT’D) Are they come to kidnap you, miss? The daughter of the governor would be very valuable. Elizabeth realizes she’s right. There is the SLAM of a body against the door.
ELIZABETH Listen, Estrella-they haven’t seen you. Hide, and first chance, run for the fort . Estrella nods. Another SLAM at the door-it gives a bit – – Elizabeth shoves Estrella into the corner, between a tall wardrobe and the wall. Dashes for the side door. When the door smashes inward, it slams into the wardrobe, and the maid cannot be seen. The pirates run in-spot the open side door, and run for it-INT. ELIZABETH’S BEDROOM – NIGHT Pintel is the first through, and gets the pan of the bed warmer in the face for his trouble-he staggers back, holding his nose-INT. SITIING ROOM – NIGHT Estrella breaks cover, runs for the hall, unnoticed. INT. ELIZABETH’S BEDROOM – NIGHT-Elizabeth swings the bed warmer at the second pirate, but he catches it by the handle-Elizabeth can’t jerk it free, so she wrenches it over-the pan lid swings down, BANGING the second pirate-hot coals spill on his head, sizzling. Elizabeth dashes for the hallway stairs – INT. SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY/FOYER – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT The pirates burst from the bedroom-Pintel goes for the stairs, but the second pirate vaults the handrail-Estrella registers the butler’s body, but continues out the still-open front door at a dead run. Elizabeth follows-The second pirate lands between Elizabeth and the front door. His face is BURNED, his hair SMOLDERS-he reaches – – Elizabeth pulls up short, runs the other way-Pintel, on the stairs, grabs her by the hair-Elizabeth doesn’t slow-she spins, grabs Pintel’s arm with both hands and pulls him hard, belly-first, into the cap of the newel post-he lets go of her hair-Elizabeth keeps going
INT. DINING ROOM – NIGHT
Elizabeth slams the double doors shut, throws the bolts. The interior shutters are closed over the windows. Above the fireplace are two crossed swords. Elizabeth climbs on the firebox; she grabs one of the swords by the hilt and pulls-but it won’t come free. Both swords are securely attached to the wall. Damn! A SMASH from the doors-the pirates are relentless – On the table is a platter with fruit, cheese and bread. Elizabeth grabs the knife from the platter – Like any bread knife, it has a round point. Elizabeth jabs it into her palm-it’s useless as a weapon. Double damn! The blade of a boarding axe breaches the door-the pirates will be through soon-Elizabeth looks around – INT. FIRST FLOOR HALLWAY – NIGHT The doors give way; the pirates charge through – INT. DINING ROOM – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT Empty. Elizabeth nowhere to be seen. Pintel and Smoldering Pirate search, under the table, behind draperies.
PINTEL We know you’re here, poppet. Come out and we promise we won’t hurt you. Smoldering pirate gives him look-he wants to hurt her plenty. Pintel shakes his head: ‘Don’t worry, I’m lying.’
PINTEL (CONT’D) We will find you, poppet … You’ve got something of ours, and it calls to us!
INT. DUMBWAITER – NIGHT
Elizabeth hides in the dumbwaiter box, wrapped around the double pulley ropes that go through the center.
PINTEL (O.S.) The gold calls to us! Elizabeth registers that-she pulls out the medallion, rubs the gold with her thumb. This is their objective. Light spills into the- box through gaps in the top as the door above is slid open-Elizabeth looks up through the gaps – Pintel leers down at her.
PINTEL (CONT’D) Hello, poppet. Elizabeth works the ropes to lower the box. Pintel pulls the other way; he’s stronger, and the box rises. Elizabeth tries to stop it-wraps her left forearm through the rope and lets it jam against the top of the box. Elizabeth gasps at the pain, but the box stops. She saws at the rope with the bread knife. Smoldering pirate helps pull the rope, crushing Elizabeth’s forearm. Tears of pain on her face, she keeps sawing – The rope parts, and the dumbwaiter box PLUMMETS – INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT From behind the door of the dumbwaiter comes a CRASH, and a cloud of dust. The door slides open, and Elizabeth clambers out. Her head is cut, she is streaked with dirt, and can barely stand. She leans over the table, trying to recover. The sound of running FOOTSTEPS gets louder …
ELIZABETH Please, no … Elizabeth touches the chain of the medallion … and a desperate idea occurs to her. The pirates burst through the door. Elizabeth backs away, holds the bread knife out to ward them off. They come around either side of the table, stalking her – ELIZABETH (CONT’D) Par. .. Parlay! Pintel can’t believe his ears.
PINTEL What?
ELIZABETH Parlay! I invoke the right of parlay! According to” the Code of the Brethren, set down by the pirates Morgan and Bartholomew, you must take me to your Captain!
PINTEL I know the code.
ELIZABETH If an adversary demands parley, you can do them no harm until the parlay is complete.
PINTEL It would appear, so do you.
SMOLDERING PIRATE To blazes with the code! He steps forward, dirk drawn-Pintel stops him.
PINTEL She wants to be taken to the Captain, and she’ll go without a fuss. He looks to Elizabeth: ‘right?’ Elizabeth nods.
