Pirates of the Caribbean – the Curse of the Black Pearl
MULLROY There’s no real ship as can match the Interceptor.
MURTOGG The Black Pearl is a real ship.
MULLROY No, it’s not.
MURTOGG Yes it is. I’ve seen it.
MULLROY You’ve seen it?
MURTOGG Yes.
MULLROY You’ve seen the Black Pearl?
MURTOGG Yes.
MULLROY You haven’t seen it.
MURTOGG Yes, I have.
MULLROY You’ve seen a ship with black sails that’s crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out?
MURTOGG … No.
MULLROY No.
MURTOGG But I’ve seen a ship with black sails.
MULLROY Oh, and no ship that’s not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out could possibly have black sails and therefore couldn’t possibly be any ship other than the Black Pearl. Is that what you’re saying?
MURTOGG … no.
MULLROY (turns back to Jack) Like I said, there’s no real ship as can match-Hey!
But Jack’s not there. Murtogg and Mullroy look around, spot- Jack standing at the wheel of the Interceptor, casually examining the mechanism.
MULLROY (CONT’D) You!
Jack looks over in exaggeratedly innocent surprise. The sailors hurry toward the gangplank.
MULLROY (CONT’D) Get away from there! You don’t have permission to be aboard there!
Jack spreads his hands in apology.
JACK I’m sorry. It’s just such a pretty boat. Ship.
The sailors study him suspiciously.
MURTOGG What’s your name?
JACK Smith.
MULLROY What’s your business in Port Royal, ‘Mr. Smith’?
MURTOGG And no lies!
JACK None? Very well. You rumbled me. I confess: I intend to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, and go on the account, do a little honest pirating.
MURTOGG I said, no lies.
MULLROY I think he’s telling the truth.
MURTOGG He’s not telling the truth.
MULLROY He may be.
MURTOGG If he were telling truth he wouldn’t have told us.
JACK Unless, of course, he knew you wouldn’t believe the truth if he told you it.
Murtogg and Mullroy consider that point- EXT. FORT CHARLES – DAY
Elizabeth, pale and perspiring, fans herself weakly, oblivious to the music and chatter.
NORRINGTON May I have a moment?
He extends his hand. She takes it. He walks her away from the party, toward the parapet. A rather too long of a silence as Norrington works up his courage.
NORRINGTON (CONT’D) (a burst) You look lovely. Elizabeth.
Elizabeth frowns, unable to focus. Norrington mistakes her expression as disapproval.
NORRINGTON (CONT’D) I apologize if I seem forward- but I must speak my mind. (working up his confidence to do so) This promotion confirms that I have accomplished the goals I set for myself in my career. But it also casts into sharp relief that which I have not achieved. The thing all men most require: a marriage to a fine woman. (beat) You have become a fine woman, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH I can’t breathe.
NORRINGTON (smiles) I’m a bit nervous, myself- Elizabeth loses her balance, stumbles away from Norrington. She reaches a hand out to the parapet to steady herself, but it slides off–and then she vanishes over the wall. Gone.
ELIZABETH Elizabeth!
EXT. PORT ROYAL – NAVY DOCKS – DAY
Jack reacts, pushes Murtogg aside to see- Elizabeth plummets from the top of the cliff. It seems to take her a long to reach the sea- Elizabeth hits the water, narrowly missing the sharp rocks. A wave breakes, and then she is washed out away from the cliff, struggling feebly.
AT THE FORT, Norrington looks down-
NORRINGTON ELIZABETH!
He leaps to the top of the parapet, prepared to dive-a lieutenant, GILLETTE, catches his arm.
GILLETTE The rocks, sir! It’s a miracle she missed them!
Norrington shakes off his arm, looks down-and realizes Gillette is right. He jumps down and runs- EXT. PORT ROYAL – NAVY DOCKS – DAY
Jack, Murtogg and Mullroy are still in shock from the sight.
JACK Aren’t you going to save her?
MULLROY I can’t swim.
Murtogg shakes his head-neither does he.
JACK (rolls his eyes) Sailors.
Above where Elizabeth struggles in the water, Norrington and several other men pick their way down the cliffs. They are too far away to get to her in time.
Jack scowls. He has no choice-and it pisses him off.
JACK (CONT’D) Fine.
He pulls a pistol from his sword belt, hands it to Murtogg; then hands the belt to Mullroy.
JACK (CONT’D) Don’t lose these.
And then he dives into the water, swims toward Elizabeth.
Elizabeth struggles to keep above water, gasping for air-then a swell rolls over her, and she is submerged- UNDERWATER,
Elizabeth drifts down, unconscious. The current turns her, and the MEDALLION slips loose from her bodice.
The MEDALLION turns slowly, until the SKULL is fully visible. A shaft of filtered sunlight hits it, and it GLINTS- EXT. PORT ROYAL – VARIOUS – DAY
FORT CHARLES: The British flag flies, blown from an offshore breeze. Suddenly the wind dies, and the flag goes limp.
ON THE DOCKS: Wood and metal fittings on the lines bang against masts. The wind dies, and there is silence.
ON THE EDGE OF TOWN: A CARIBE WOMAN feeds clucking chikens, frowns when they all suddenly go quit …
IN THE VILLAGE: A weather vane moves slightly in the wind. The wind stops, and all is still. And then …
… the weather vanes TURNS, and holds steady-the wind has picked up again, but now blows from the sea toward the land.
ON THE BEACH: an OLD SALT pulls a rope line, pauses. Turns and gazes at the sky, frowning. The mangy hound at his side starts BARKING incessantly- ON THE DOCKS: The lines bang against the other sides of the masts, the wind far stronger now.
FORT CHARLES: the British flag flies in the opposite direction, snapping in the new onshore breeze.
EXT. PORT ROYAL – CLIFFSIDE – DAY
Norrington rushes down, intent on the climb. Beyond him, past the rocky point, far out to sea, FOG gathers- EXT. PORT ROYAL – OCEAN – DAY
UNDERWATER: the medallion hangs below Elizabeth’s unmoving form-and then Jack is there. He wraps an arm around her and makes for the surface.
ON THE SURFACE, Jack swims toward the dock, struggling. It is far more difficult than it should be. He stops stroking, and they submerge.
UNDERWATER: Jack realizes that it is Elizabeth’s heavy velvet dress that is weighing them down. He pulls at the buttons on the back, and they give way. He skins her out of the dress, and kicks away from it.
The dress falls like a cloud into darkness- ON THE SURFACE: Jack swims with Elizabeth, much more quickly.
AT THE DOCK, Murtogg and Mullroy are there to help haul Elizabeth out of the water.
Jack climbs up, exhausted. Elizabeth is on her back; Murtogg holds her arms above her head, pumping them. Mullroy puts his cheek to her nose and mouth.
MULLROY Not breathing.
Murtogg looks down; it seems hopeless. Jack steps up, drawing Murtogg’s knife from its sheath.
JACK Move.
He pushes past Mullroy, kneels over Elizabeth, raises the knife-Murtogg is shocked- Jack slits the corset down the middle, yanks it away.
Elizabeth remains still. And then-she coughs up water and gasps, choking on her first full breath. Jack is relieved.
MULLROY I never would have thought of that.
JACK Clearly, you’ve never been to Singapore.
Jack flips the knife and hands it hilt-first to Murtogg-and that’s when he spots- The MEDALLION. Jack catches it up in his hand.
JACK (CONT’D) Where did you get this?
