Pirates of the Caribbean – the Curse of the Black Pearl
JACK Only a little.
In responce, 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 with 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 with 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 he 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. (Will sets his jaw) 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 (smiles; what did you expect?) 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 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 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, Estrella.
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 broading 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 his 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 very 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 (frightened) 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 bandana. 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 return fire.
NORRINGTON Governor! Barricade yourself in my office! (Swann hesitates) 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’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
