Earlier this week my friend Timothy Lawrence wrote what I believe to be a definitive essay on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. However, I wanted to throw my piece of eight into the bowl and follow up with a few additional thoughts to compliment Tim’s analysis, which mainly focused on Elizabeth Swann.
Specifically, after re-watching the series and reading his review, the thing I was struck by the most was the fact that Captain Jack Sparrow is the character, rather than the protagonists Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, that usually gets ‘Top Billing’. He’s by far and away the character most pop culture associates with the franchise, he appears more than any other character from the films in the re-done Disneyland amusement park ride (modeled after the movie which was originally inspired by the ride), and is usually considered to be the main character of the series. But, as argued by Tim’s essay and the original creators of the series, he’s not (of course, films 4 & 5 don’t help in correcting this mistaken belief). Indeed, it is Will and Elizabeth’s coming-of-age journey that is the primary focus of the original three films. So why is it Jack - sorry, Captain - Captain Jack Sparrow that audiences seem to love the most?
Before I go any further, I would be amiss if I didn’t address that Jack Sparrow is to the Pirates franchise what Han Solo is to the Star Wars series. Both are gruff, arrogant captains of the fastest ship in the high seas /galaxy (The Black Pearl/Millennium Falcon), reluctant mentors to the “kid” hero (Will/Luke), smugglers with a motley crew, possessors of a seductive charisma that entices the female lead (Elizabeth/Leia), and their anti-hero, swashbuckling ways conceal the fact that they are good men when the chips are down. Everyone loves a mysterious, mischievous mentor with a legend as big as his ego and a heart of gold underneath a wayward (but ultimately true and good) moral compass. In comparison, Luke and Will (particularly their straight-laced heroics in the first installment of the series) are positively boring. Therefore, is it any wonder that as most people remember Han Solo over Luke Skywalker, everyone loves Jack Sparrow over Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann? (Also: who wouldn’t take the chance to go aboard the Black Pearl or Millennium Falcon if given the opportunity?) But more than this, I would argue that what makes Jack favoured by audiences is the fact that his character arc is the one that resonates the most with humankind’s innermost desire: to live free, forever.
Let’s examine Jack’s inner journey throughout the trilogy (I’m purposely excluding films 4 & 5 as Tim did so that 1) both of our reviews talk about the same titles and 2) because 4 & 5 were directed by a completely different people, so their artistic vision can be viewed as a separate entity):
In the first film, Jack seeks vengeance against his mutinous crew and restoration of himself as the rightful captain of the Black Pearl. Both motivations should be considered in light of two critical quotes from Jack.
The first quote is from his exchange with a cursed crew member from his jail cell: “The deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers.” This shows that Jack, like Dante, knows that betrayers will have judgement cast upon them. He wants justice exacted against his mutinous crew, and his sense of righteousness is echoed in humanity calling out to God for vengeance against the wicked (Psalm 94:1-4).
Indeed, the damned sailors are truly dead men pretending to live, as characterized by Barbosa’s words about the curse, “The drink would not satisfy. Food turned to ash in our mouths. And all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed we were, but now we are consumed by it [....] For too long I’ve been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I’ve been starving to death and haven’t died. I feel nothing.” Therefore, Jack’s triumph at the end of the film in securing justice (through the deaths of his former crew members) also mirrors him escaping from being under death’s rule like humanity has escaped in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-28).
However, Jack’s journey for justice runs alongside his quest for freedom. He is still imprisoned (literally and figuratively) throughout most of the film. This is exemplified by the second quote, which is from his explanation to Elizabeth about why he wants the Black Pearl after being marooned on an island together: “That’s what a ship is, you know. It’s not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails. That’s what a ship needs, but what a ship is – what the Black Pearl really is – is freedom.” Thus, Jack’s quest for the Black Pearl is explicitly tied to his longing for freedom.
In the film, it is freedom from the constraints of the world (society, earthly laws, expectations, etc) that Jack longs for. However, in a larger sense freedom from the world really means freedom from being condemned by sin and residing in the kingdom of death/the world. Consider how humanity longs for the ability to live not under the law, but under grace in the kingdom of life/heaven as Romans 6-8 discusses. In the first film Jack not only strives to live outside the imperfect institutions that proclaim to uphold the law (ie the royal navy), but also ultimately receives grace and mercy from being under the law (when Will helps him escape the noose at the end of the film). By escaping with grace, Jack is able to finally take possession of the Black Pearl and start to live in the kingdom of life (as symbolized through his life as a pirate). Thus, Jack’s quest for and achievement in gaining freedom in the first movie resonates with humankind’s inner desire to live free in Christ (Galatians 5), righteously avenged against the wicked enemy.
At the beginning of the second film, like Tim’s analysis mentions, Jack doesn’t know what to do with his new found freedom. This is analogous to a new Christian who has accepted and claimed freedom in Christ, but lacks discernment for what to do now as a new citizen of the kingdom of heaven. This is literally seen through the device of Jack’s magic compass. As revealed in yet another conversation with Elizabeth, Jack says, “True enough, this compass does not point north [but] it points to the thing you want most in this world.” However, unlike in the first film when the compass pointed true, in the second film one of the main obstacles for Jack is that he is unable to find his heading. As Tia Dalma puts it, “Ah, Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants!”
Moreover, in the second film, like any Christian, Jack stumbles in his journey as a member in the kingdom of life. He wrestles with the problem of “settling his debts” with Davy Jones, a man who has corrupted his purpose and nature in trying to live without love. Here, the idea of Jack’s debts can also be seen as a metaphor for his sins. Instead of living as if he is a part of the kingdom of life (as symbolized by a life on the seas as a pirate), Jack falls back on his old way of life under the kingdom of sin. He looks for safety on land and tries to forsake the ocean. The idea of land standing in for hell will be underscored in a dramatic fashion in the third film, but even in the second going back to land is impossible for Jack as he tries to make port on the Island of Cannibals. It is here that, although seen as a god with mortal praise, Jack is still a prisoner - and he knows it, as he pleads to Will, “save me.” Jack can not go back to his old way of life before he became free because that way leads to literal and spiritual death. This is evidenced by the fact that the cannibal natives want to sacrifice Jack to be “released from his human form”. Thus, freedom does not mean freedom from suffering. Rather, it is a freedom of choice which, although free from punishment, still comes with a price - to live well.
The film defines living well as living courageously, honorably, and selflessly - in short, what it means to live as a good person. This definition can be extrapolated from Jack’s struggle to “do the right thing” throughout the film as he faces the temptation (and often succumbs) to be cowardly, dishonorable, and selfish over and over again. But this conflict finally comes to a head at the climax when Jack chooses to be a good man and “do the right thing” when it really counts. He goes back to heroically save his crew from the kraken (which had been sent to kill him) instead of sneaking away - back to land - by himself. As a marked man, Jack knows that his choice will likely lead to his death and ultimately by dying to himself Jack is saved (although this is not revealed until the third film). This is again analogous to the journey Christians must take as Matthew 10:39 and Luke 17:33 illustrate.
In the third film, then, is it any surprise that after being freed from death once more by grace (in his rescue from Davy Jones’ Locker), Jack immediately decides to seek Immortality? Indeed, most of his journey in the final film revolves around Jack using his freedom to look for ways to obtain eternal life. However, like in the first two films, there are many examples of immortality sought incorrectly (Matthew 7:13-14).
Barbosa and Jack’s crew are unable to die, but due to obtaining their immortality through cursed gold, their insatiable greed means they feel nothing. Davy Jones and his crew post-pone death through their service on the Dutchman, but they live without love and therefore have corrupted their bodies (half-human and half-sea creature) by twisting their purpose. Finally, Lord Beckett and the East India Trading Company ignore seeking immortality altogether, but their materialist paradigm and attempt to master the seas (ie world) through their own mortal means is arguably the most soulless of the three existences.
Meanwhile, Jack is not so foolish as to seek life only in the material (he point blank refuses Beckett’s offer of employment with the remark “ As if I could be bought for such a low price”), but he is briefly tempted to gain immortality both as a cursed being (when he steals a piece of gold at the end of the first film) and by stabbing the heart of Davy Jones to take his place (although, as Tim’s essay points out, Jack would never do the duty of ferrying the souls of the dead so he is not the right choice for being captain of the Dutchman).
Once more, at the climax of the film, Jack is faced with the choice between being a good man or being selfish. For the entire film, Jack has sought to possess the (literal) heart of Davy Jones in order to become immortal. But when faced between selfishly killing Jones for his own ends or saving Will (when the latter is stabbed by Davy Jones), Jack ultimately decides allow Will to become captain of the Dutchman in order to save his life.
Thus, the film ends with Jack once more sailing the seas, having vanquished the temptation to go after hollow imitations of immortality. He is finally free to live well as a good man in search of the Fountain of Youth, or more accurately, the “Water of Life” as it is so labelled on the map. Once more, it is obvious that this literary device corresponds to seeking the True “Water of Eternal Life” (John 4:13-15). In fact, this link is further underscored by the fact that although Jack has once more lost the Black Pearl at the end of the third film, he chooses not to pursue it. He already knows he has his freedom (to live the life of a pirate on the seas) so there is no need to go after it. Instead, Jack (in his freedom) chooses to journey on towards what he, along with humankind, desire most -- to “live well” forever.
So in sum, Jack’s character arc can be described as follows:
1st Film: Begins with looking for Justice and Freedom; Ultimately gains both and is free to sail once more, having become a member of the kingdom of life
2nd Film: Begins with Freedom, but not knowing what to do with it; Ultimately chooses to “live well” as a good man, which means death (in order to have life) by going back to save his crew
3rd Film: Begins with seeking Immortality as a freed man by grace, but in the wrong places; Ultimately chooses to continue the journey (correctly) to find True Eternal Life after resisting temptation
In conclusion, this is why I believe Jack’s arc resonates with audiences. His journey is the one humankind also desire to undertake - the path towards Eternal Life as freed citizens who reside in the kingdom of heaven. Indeed, aside from swashbuckling anti-hero, Jack embodies Matthew 6:25-34 - he doesn’t worry about tomorrow and lives fully in the present. But he also knows how to die well (and therefore live well) as a good man who understands that Eternity found in the True Water of Life is what all should seek.
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