More PotC
Second viewing of Dead Man's Chest took place on Thursday night with some of the Renwick girls, in an unbelievably warm cinema.
Nothing that confused me the first time was really cleared up on a second viewing, as far as I can remember, although I was able to get a better look at things like Tia Dalma's matching musical box, Barbossa's belongings and so on-it's much easier to notice clues like that when you know where they are :P
In the gaol, did Will tell Elizabeth the details of the bargain with Beckett? As I understood it, Jack was to get his Letter of Marque and the pair of them were to be pardoned-so why was Governor Swann still wittering on about having to see his daughter go to the gallows even if Will succeeded? Was that part of a Cunning Plot (TM) to get Elizabeth to England because he didn't really trust Will, or is he just very, very slow?
Quite apart from the lashing scene, where Orlando Bloom's great huge got-my-back-cut-open scar wasn't visible, (yup, I looked quite carefully) the parts I paid probably most attention to this time around were the scenes on the Flying Dutchman.
My understanding of Will's initial emotions on being faced with his father was the same as the first time: disbelief, denial, wanting nothing to do with him. Later on, I'm not so sure. As far as I remember, I originally thought, "Oh, yeah, we're all reconciled, happy families, they're helping each other, isn't that nice." After watching it again, it all appears rather more...complicated.
Will must have loved and/or hero-worshipped his father when he was a child, or he wouldn't have gone in search of him: he probably had ideas of sailing around on nice, respectable merchant ships together. I think he can't help caring about his father and pitying him, even though the chain of circumstances that put Bill in his predicament was mostly his own fault...pirate's in their blood, but Bill chose his life while Will was forced into piracy by circumstances beyond his control. (Although having said that, he makes an excellent pirate once he's got there: climbing rigging with dagger between teeth, yay!) I can't yet decide, from the expression on Will's face, whether he understands or sympathises with Bill's choices or not; as someone who (as far as I recall) hasn't yet neglected his responsibilities to put his own pleasure/safety first, I imagine he would find it quite difficult to excuse his father for doing so.
My brother thought that Will moved too swiftly from "don't like you, don't want you, don't need you" mode to being all friendly and reconciled with his father, but I don't see that-after the "act of compassion" bit it goes straight to Will asking about the key, which seemed to me to be utilisation of the resources at hand.
Bill recognises that his son owes him nothing, but Will is probably the sort of person who feels that a son automatically has a debt of loyalty towards his father, however little the father has done to deserve it...if he doesn't he's still prepared to act beyond what is reasonably expected of him.
There's definite reproach, however, in "I won't abandon you"-I noticed the emphasis the first time, but didn't pay much attention to its significance. He's going to try to save his father, but he's also making sure Bill knows that he (Will) is aware of the differences between them, that Bill acted wrongly but that Will is not, in his turn, going to neglect what he perceives as his duty. Will's noble attitudes have all along been part of his problem in dealing with Jack; in this case, since he upholds his promises and pays his debts with honour, he seems to expect that others will do the same-hence his anticipation that Jack will be eager to help Elizabeth who, after all, faces the gallows only because she did something unidentified to help him (Jack). By the way, was I the only one who, after Governor Swann said his piece in the gaol: "Just because you were willing to risk your lives for him, does not mean that he will do the same for you," (not verbatim) read Will's thoughts as, "Well, yes, of course he will-duh!"
I've sene quite a lot of similar comparisons between Will and Bootstrap-all of them coming to the conclusion that Will is more or less the new, improved model-and it got me thinking about Mrs. Bootstrap. She must have been quite a woman, in possession of a pretty healthy sense of honour and decency and a moral centre of her own-it clearly wasn't Bootstrap's genetics or influence that made Will turn out the way he did. (Incidentally, she must also have been very good-looking, since despite what the pirates seem to think, there's no way Bootstrap (sea-creatures or no sea-creatures) ever looked like Will, while the thought that Will is shortly going to grow ugly is not open for contemplation.)
The second thing I concentrated on was the interaction between Elizabeth and Jack. While the apparent pointings of the compass toward him are probably a coincidence (since it brought them to the chest, they must be) I don't think the smile that Norrington commented on and the long to do what you want to do because you want it/good man conversation can be so easily explained. Whatever her reasons when she began-trying to match Jack in terms of fighting dirty, using his admitted attraction to her to persuade him, or just because she wanted to-by the end of the exchange she wants him to kiss her, and her disappointment when he proves to be more interested in his jar of dirt than in her (honour, phooee) is evident. At the end, too, when he's safely chained up, at least once she almost comes back for more-rather worrying.
I'm still not sure to what she was referring when she said I'm not sorry: not sorry he's going to die?-obviously untrue. Not sorry she was responsible?-considering the state she was in at Tia Dalma's, she's having a lot of trouble coming to terms with what she did-and even more, I think, with what it shows she is capable of. The fact that she is the only one who knows the truth must make it worse...I'll be interested to see what happens when it all comes out. Not sorry she kissed him?-well, there's a question. Hopefully telling, on the other hand, was her reaction when Will arrived safely on the Isla Cruces, and her instinctive turning ot him when he was injured. On the other hand (turning into Tevye by the minute) if Jack and Elizabeth were to sail off into the sunset, Will would be in need of consolation ;) But who are we kidding, it's Disney.
The glance that Will and Elizabeth exchange when she climbs into the boat from the Pearl is worth consideration, too...he knows part of what she did, but does she know he knows? Is the defiance a you-don't-know-what-I-did-so-stop-looking-at-me-like-that expression, or a so-I-kissed-him-and-chained-him-up-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it expression? Will is easier to read than Elizabeth, in one way; while I don't know what was in his mind in the boat, by the time they are in Tia Dalma's he's clearly got back to the "do anything for Elizabeth" mindset, which is also related to his "help other people rather than doing something selfish" mindset. And yet people say they don't like him? He's noble, heroic, good leader, takes care of everyone, will do anything for the woman he loves, despite assumptions is actually pretty bright, and gets down off the rigging by slitting a sail with a bloody dagger-oh, and he looks like this. What's not to like? =)
Nothing that confused me the first time was really cleared up on a second viewing, as far as I can remember, although I was able to get a better look at things like Tia Dalma's matching musical box, Barbossa's belongings and so on-it's much easier to notice clues like that when you know where they are :P
In the gaol, did Will tell Elizabeth the details of the bargain with Beckett? As I understood it, Jack was to get his Letter of Marque and the pair of them were to be pardoned-so why was Governor Swann still wittering on about having to see his daughter go to the gallows even if Will succeeded? Was that part of a Cunning Plot (TM) to get Elizabeth to England because he didn't really trust Will, or is he just very, very slow?
Quite apart from the lashing scene, where Orlando Bloom's great huge got-my-back-cut-open scar wasn't visible, (yup, I looked quite carefully) the parts I paid probably most attention to this time around were the scenes on the Flying Dutchman.
My understanding of Will's initial emotions on being faced with his father was the same as the first time: disbelief, denial, wanting nothing to do with him. Later on, I'm not so sure. As far as I remember, I originally thought, "Oh, yeah, we're all reconciled, happy families, they're helping each other, isn't that nice." After watching it again, it all appears rather more...complicated.
Will must have loved and/or hero-worshipped his father when he was a child, or he wouldn't have gone in search of him: he probably had ideas of sailing around on nice, respectable merchant ships together. I think he can't help caring about his father and pitying him, even though the chain of circumstances that put Bill in his predicament was mostly his own fault...pirate's in their blood, but Bill chose his life while Will was forced into piracy by circumstances beyond his control. (Although having said that, he makes an excellent pirate once he's got there: climbing rigging with dagger between teeth, yay!) I can't yet decide, from the expression on Will's face, whether he understands or sympathises with Bill's choices or not; as someone who (as far as I recall) hasn't yet neglected his responsibilities to put his own pleasure/safety first, I imagine he would find it quite difficult to excuse his father for doing so.
My brother thought that Will moved too swiftly from "don't like you, don't want you, don't need you" mode to being all friendly and reconciled with his father, but I don't see that-after the "act of compassion" bit it goes straight to Will asking about the key, which seemed to me to be utilisation of the resources at hand.
Bill recognises that his son owes him nothing, but Will is probably the sort of person who feels that a son automatically has a debt of loyalty towards his father, however little the father has done to deserve it...if he doesn't he's still prepared to act beyond what is reasonably expected of him.
There's definite reproach, however, in "I won't abandon you"-I noticed the emphasis the first time, but didn't pay much attention to its significance. He's going to try to save his father, but he's also making sure Bill knows that he (Will) is aware of the differences between them, that Bill acted wrongly but that Will is not, in his turn, going to neglect what he perceives as his duty. Will's noble attitudes have all along been part of his problem in dealing with Jack; in this case, since he upholds his promises and pays his debts with honour, he seems to expect that others will do the same-hence his anticipation that Jack will be eager to help Elizabeth who, after all, faces the gallows only because she did something unidentified to help him (Jack). By the way, was I the only one who, after Governor Swann said his piece in the gaol: "Just because you were willing to risk your lives for him, does not mean that he will do the same for you," (not verbatim) read Will's thoughts as, "Well, yes, of course he will-duh!"
I've sene quite a lot of similar comparisons between Will and Bootstrap-all of them coming to the conclusion that Will is more or less the new, improved model-and it got me thinking about Mrs. Bootstrap. She must have been quite a woman, in possession of a pretty healthy sense of honour and decency and a moral centre of her own-it clearly wasn't Bootstrap's genetics or influence that made Will turn out the way he did. (Incidentally, she must also have been very good-looking, since despite what the pirates seem to think, there's no way Bootstrap (sea-creatures or no sea-creatures) ever looked like Will, while the thought that Will is shortly going to grow ugly is not open for contemplation.)
The second thing I concentrated on was the interaction between Elizabeth and Jack. While the apparent pointings of the compass toward him are probably a coincidence (since it brought them to the chest, they must be) I don't think the smile that Norrington commented on and the long to do what you want to do because you want it/good man conversation can be so easily explained. Whatever her reasons when she began-trying to match Jack in terms of fighting dirty, using his admitted attraction to her to persuade him, or just because she wanted to-by the end of the exchange she wants him to kiss her, and her disappointment when he proves to be more interested in his jar of dirt than in her (honour, phooee) is evident. At the end, too, when he's safely chained up, at least once she almost comes back for more-rather worrying.
I'm still not sure to what she was referring when she said I'm not sorry: not sorry he's going to die?-obviously untrue. Not sorry she was responsible?-considering the state she was in at Tia Dalma's, she's having a lot of trouble coming to terms with what she did-and even more, I think, with what it shows she is capable of. The fact that she is the only one who knows the truth must make it worse...I'll be interested to see what happens when it all comes out. Not sorry she kissed him?-well, there's a question. Hopefully telling, on the other hand, was her reaction when Will arrived safely on the Isla Cruces, and her instinctive turning ot him when he was injured. On the other hand (turning into Tevye by the minute) if Jack and Elizabeth were to sail off into the sunset, Will would be in need of consolation ;) But who are we kidding, it's Disney.
The glance that Will and Elizabeth exchange when she climbs into the boat from the Pearl is worth consideration, too...he knows part of what she did, but does she know he knows? Is the defiance a you-don't-know-what-I-did-so-stop-looking-at-me-like-that expression, or a so-I-kissed-him-and-chained-him-up-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it expression? Will is easier to read than Elizabeth, in one way; while I don't know what was in his mind in the boat, by the time they are in Tia Dalma's he's clearly got back to the "do anything for Elizabeth" mindset, which is also related to his "help other people rather than doing something selfish" mindset. And yet people say they don't like him? He's noble, heroic, good leader, takes care of everyone, will do anything for the woman he loves, despite assumptions is actually pretty bright, and gets down off the rigging by slitting a sail with a bloody dagger-oh, and he looks like this. What's not to like? =)