Beckett thoughts
I have some thoughts on Beckett throughout the film - spoilers, of course. How long will we need to cut that for, d'you think? *g* Anyway - thoughts of interest behind the cut. Could even call it an..
Analysis of Cutler Beckett in DMC, particularly his change in mood.
In the first scene we see of Beckett, he arrives from having probably spent half a year on a ship. He's probably a little shaken up (I think he gets seasick and lost some weight over the passage *g*) but he hasn't had to work to get there so he probably got a good night's sleep before arriving in Port Royal.
So he does arrive, and he's quite happy. He has a plan to get what he wants (absolute power, I believe) and he's worked all the stages of it through in his mind, he knows exactly what to do, including some variables. He can't calculate exactly what some people will do, but every new unexpected turn is a new interesting turn of events and his plan is so good nothing could possibly go wrong. He's finally there - and any of you who have travelled for a long amount of time know that finally arriving and stretching your legs brings with it a certain euphoria, and it is in that euphoria that Beckett is still in while he has Elizabeth and Will arrested. His plan is instantly beginning to work, he's high on his own power (with good reason!) and really just sorting out the problem of arresting these people before settling into his new quarters and office. I can just see him already ordering his dinner and planning the re-arrangement of his (what I assume used to be Norrington's) office, just after he's had Will and Elizabeth locked up.
The next scene we see of him, the one in which he talks to Will, he's still very much in the same state. I would assume it's the next day or so, and he's somewhat settled in. Speaking to Will is just a part of what he needs to do, and it hardly even matters what Will says because Beckett already knows he WILL agree to get the compass for him - he doesn't have a choice, really. Again, he's revelling in his own power and how it all just WORKS for him. (He's short and he's dominating the tall people. *smirk*)
Mind, for all his euphoria, Beckett HAS just come from England. On a ship, there's at least wind to keep you cool - in Port Royal, the air is probably humid as well as hot and sticky. When Elizabeth comes to see him, we already see a bit of Beckett wilting in the heat - it is night, he was alone before she came in, so he took off his jacket. He really doesn't seem like the type of person to stand the heat, but by then he's still alright. His plan is working after all. Even though Elizabeth wasn't supposed to do that - he never intended to sign the letter of marque that SOON and now he HAS signed it, any of the people he's trying to manipulate could be free to kill him. He IS scared of Elizabeth in that moment, hence why he tells her she needs his signature and seal at the first opportunity. Him saying that is him saying "You need me so you can't kill me." Still, he's not scared for long - it's an interesting turn of events, and he intimidated Elizabeth by playing on her interest in Jack, which he has no reason for knowing about other than pure instinct, and it probably confuses and infuriates her.
Now, after this scene, a lot of stuff happens to everybody else. Elizabeth stows away, Will ends up on the Flying Dutchman, etc. But Beckett? Think about it - while all this action is happening, our Beckett is wilting away with boredom in his office. Paperwork, heat. No news of the compass, the chest, Jack Sparrow, anything. The only thing he DOES eventually hear from Mercer is that James Norrington is now working for them (deleted scene), but nothing more, at least nothing more of interest. So he continues to have his map painted and, in his boredom, goes through he office.
I said before that I think it's Norrington's because it overlooks the dock that the Interceptor was tied to, and of course it has the case with his sword in it. So Beckett probably finds a lot of personal items, Norrington's, papers related to the Royal Navy, etc. I think the brandy (brandy?) he offers Will is probably not even his own - he just found it and confiscated it because it was there and he CAN. Same with the sword. In the scene where he speaks to Governor Swann about Elizabeth ("...even for what he hoped never to sell.") he's PLAYING with that sword, completely disregarding how much it might mean to its owner, and even Gov. Swann, because I think he and Norrington are quite good friends and being reminded of that promotion, how he commissioned the sword from Will, how things were a year ago (1722 *nod*) and now seeing that sword being played with so carelessly probably hurts him awfully. Beckett also assumes this and it probably amuses him, hence why he does it. Apart from being bored.
However... then, again, nothing happens, and now, he's already gone through the office to keep himself entertained. There's nothing IN Port Royal, probably not much interesting society to speak of if you're used to LONDON - the heat is merciless, he probably can't sleep very well, there are insects - and slowly I think he starts to wonder, what if his plan doesn't work? What if he's stuck in Port Royal like this for an indefinite amount of time, just a highly placed official but ever wilting away with discomfort and boredom in his office? Unthinkable! And then - what if his plan DOES work? Wasn't it a bit too much to ask for - control over the sea? He wants absolute power, but every time a major part of his plan works he seems surprised, like he can't believe people will actually let him get away with this, he's actually clever and ruthless enough to get something close enough to world domination! And if it does work, he might be up against ghouls and spirits that he knows of, but has no control over. Sitting behind his desk with nothing to do but wait for reports, he wonders if it was actually such a good idea in the first place - if in London he didn't have all he wanted, money, entertainment, good food, and an already great amount of power. He wants more, but he isn't in desperate need for it in order to stay alive - should he perhaps have been content with what he had? ...Nah, this is Beckett after all. So he continues to wilt... and wait.
And that's what he's doing in his last scene, when James Norrington brings him the heart. There have been no news of the chest whatsoever, he's about to believe his plan has failed and he IS stuck in Port Royal with nothing to do.. then he gets back the letter of marque. Damn. Jack Sparrow can't be bought, Will and Elizabeth have gone, he has nothing to bargain with, he's failed.
Then he gets the heart. Plonked on his desk unceremoniously. He expected it to be more grand - to open the chest with the key, clean and with dignity, then to receive his absolute power by KEEPING it in this chest - after all, he's quite disgusted by a disconnected but still living human organ! But instead he gets an actual heart in a leather bag. He can't believe it. His plan worked when he least expected it to. And now he has it, now he's come this far... he actually hasn't got a clue what to do (and Norrington knows it.)
It's quite adorable, really. "I'm THIS much of a megalomaniac and I'm getting away with it! WOW! I actually have absolute power now! ...What do I do with it?"
(If you liked this, here's some more on what I think Beckett's like in general :))
Analysis of Cutler Beckett in DMC, particularly his change in mood.
In the first scene we see of Beckett, he arrives from having probably spent half a year on a ship. He's probably a little shaken up (I think he gets seasick and lost some weight over the passage *g*) but he hasn't had to work to get there so he probably got a good night's sleep before arriving in Port Royal.
So he does arrive, and he's quite happy. He has a plan to get what he wants (absolute power, I believe) and he's worked all the stages of it through in his mind, he knows exactly what to do, including some variables. He can't calculate exactly what some people will do, but every new unexpected turn is a new interesting turn of events and his plan is so good nothing could possibly go wrong. He's finally there - and any of you who have travelled for a long amount of time know that finally arriving and stretching your legs brings with it a certain euphoria, and it is in that euphoria that Beckett is still in while he has Elizabeth and Will arrested. His plan is instantly beginning to work, he's high on his own power (with good reason!) and really just sorting out the problem of arresting these people before settling into his new quarters and office. I can just see him already ordering his dinner and planning the re-arrangement of his (what I assume used to be Norrington's) office, just after he's had Will and Elizabeth locked up.
The next scene we see of him, the one in which he talks to Will, he's still very much in the same state. I would assume it's the next day or so, and he's somewhat settled in. Speaking to Will is just a part of what he needs to do, and it hardly even matters what Will says because Beckett already knows he WILL agree to get the compass for him - he doesn't have a choice, really. Again, he's revelling in his own power and how it all just WORKS for him. (He's short and he's dominating the tall people. *smirk*)
Mind, for all his euphoria, Beckett HAS just come from England. On a ship, there's at least wind to keep you cool - in Port Royal, the air is probably humid as well as hot and sticky. When Elizabeth comes to see him, we already see a bit of Beckett wilting in the heat - it is night, he was alone before she came in, so he took off his jacket. He really doesn't seem like the type of person to stand the heat, but by then he's still alright. His plan is working after all. Even though Elizabeth wasn't supposed to do that - he never intended to sign the letter of marque that SOON and now he HAS signed it, any of the people he's trying to manipulate could be free to kill him. He IS scared of Elizabeth in that moment, hence why he tells her she needs his signature and seal at the first opportunity. Him saying that is him saying "You need me so you can't kill me." Still, he's not scared for long - it's an interesting turn of events, and he intimidated Elizabeth by playing on her interest in Jack, which he has no reason for knowing about other than pure instinct, and it probably confuses and infuriates her.
Now, after this scene, a lot of stuff happens to everybody else. Elizabeth stows away, Will ends up on the Flying Dutchman, etc. But Beckett? Think about it - while all this action is happening, our Beckett is wilting away with boredom in his office. Paperwork, heat. No news of the compass, the chest, Jack Sparrow, anything. The only thing he DOES eventually hear from Mercer is that James Norrington is now working for them (deleted scene), but nothing more, at least nothing more of interest. So he continues to have his map painted and, in his boredom, goes through he office.
I said before that I think it's Norrington's because it overlooks the dock that the Interceptor was tied to, and of course it has the case with his sword in it. So Beckett probably finds a lot of personal items, Norrington's, papers related to the Royal Navy, etc. I think the brandy (brandy?) he offers Will is probably not even his own - he just found it and confiscated it because it was there and he CAN. Same with the sword. In the scene where he speaks to Governor Swann about Elizabeth ("...even for what he hoped never to sell.") he's PLAYING with that sword, completely disregarding how much it might mean to its owner, and even Gov. Swann, because I think he and Norrington are quite good friends and being reminded of that promotion, how he commissioned the sword from Will, how things were a year ago (1722 *nod*) and now seeing that sword being played with so carelessly probably hurts him awfully. Beckett also assumes this and it probably amuses him, hence why he does it. Apart from being bored.
However... then, again, nothing happens, and now, he's already gone through the office to keep himself entertained. There's nothing IN Port Royal, probably not much interesting society to speak of if you're used to LONDON - the heat is merciless, he probably can't sleep very well, there are insects - and slowly I think he starts to wonder, what if his plan doesn't work? What if he's stuck in Port Royal like this for an indefinite amount of time, just a highly placed official but ever wilting away with discomfort and boredom in his office? Unthinkable! And then - what if his plan DOES work? Wasn't it a bit too much to ask for - control over the sea? He wants absolute power, but every time a major part of his plan works he seems surprised, like he can't believe people will actually let him get away with this, he's actually clever and ruthless enough to get something close enough to world domination! And if it does work, he might be up against ghouls and spirits that he knows of, but has no control over. Sitting behind his desk with nothing to do but wait for reports, he wonders if it was actually such a good idea in the first place - if in London he didn't have all he wanted, money, entertainment, good food, and an already great amount of power. He wants more, but he isn't in desperate need for it in order to stay alive - should he perhaps have been content with what he had? ...Nah, this is Beckett after all. So he continues to wilt... and wait.
And that's what he's doing in his last scene, when James Norrington brings him the heart. There have been no news of the chest whatsoever, he's about to believe his plan has failed and he IS stuck in Port Royal with nothing to do.. then he gets back the letter of marque. Damn. Jack Sparrow can't be bought, Will and Elizabeth have gone, he has nothing to bargain with, he's failed.
Then he gets the heart. Plonked on his desk unceremoniously. He expected it to be more grand - to open the chest with the key, clean and with dignity, then to receive his absolute power by KEEPING it in this chest - after all, he's quite disgusted by a disconnected but still living human organ! But instead he gets an actual heart in a leather bag. He can't believe it. His plan worked when he least expected it to. And now he has it, now he's come this far... he actually hasn't got a clue what to do (and Norrington knows it.)
It's quite adorable, really. "I'm THIS much of a megalomaniac and I'm getting away with it! WOW! I actually have absolute power now! ...What do I do with it?"
(If you liked this, here's some more on what I think Beckett's like in general :))