Jack Sparrow vs. Will Turner: A Perfect Pirate Fight

[@MrShootgun13]

"Jack isn't as clever as he thinks" and one thing I'd add to that is "But still more clever than others think" which is, in my opinion, key to his character

[@Richard_Nickerson]

Just like the dialogue shows: "You have to be the worst Pirate I've ever heard of!" "Yes, but you HAVE *heard* of me!"

[@andreagriffiths3512]

And quite possibly why he is so good at what he does.

[@jimstoesz3878]

*EXACTLY!*

[@logandarklighter]

[Jack is about to light a cannon that's pointed at the mast] Lord Cutler Beckett: "You're mad!" Jack Sparrow: "Thank goodness for that, 'cause if I wasn't this would probably never work!" [fires the cannon, which catapults him onto his ship, landing safely on his feet behind his crew] Jack Sparrow: "And that was without even a single drop of rum!"

[@MrsAnnThropy]

@@logandarklighter the PRECISE moment that encompasses all that he is as an entire character, especially the tiny figure of the commodore. shining moment

[@nyxeridanus8322]

"you're the worst pirate I've ever heard of" "But you HAVE heard about me"

[@wierdalien1]

Ahhh, but you have heard of me.

[@PriyaGupta-fc9yf]

He’s right tho XD

[@kurtsnyder4752]

Kind of like another compass challenged guy in another franchise: Spike to Travers in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, a vamp who relishes fighting and being a vamp, but only seems to do the feeding thing as necessary.

[@michaelsinger4638]

And I love the payoff when Jack outsmarts them later: Groves (admiringly): “That’s got to be the best pirate I’ve ever seen.” Norrington (annoyed): “So it would seem.”

[@silver5499]

Apparently all publicly are good publicity?

[@ConnollyUK]

"A stinkier Han Solo with an even shakier moral compass". Everything you say is so damn quotable!

[@wesleybuckwalter2558]

You can't read it without the accent sounding in your head either

[@Serai3]

I was just going to say we don't know how Solo smelled, but then I realized that if he stank, Luke would have whined about it.

[@savagenature1]

@@Serai3 Or Leia. She never misses an opportunity to insult him

[@Cryogenius333]

He DOES have a pretty shaky compass. It doesn't even work ;)

[@squirrelbuddi]

Lol

[@maxs9062]

And a few seconds before he gets KO’d Jack says “This shot was not meant for you.” Which tell’s me he might have some morals despite being a pirate but it also tells me he might have a vendetta, which we find out later he did.

[@devinspencer1678]

It was a great example of Checkov's Gun. Pun intended.

[@HighShamanMoses]

well to be fair the only reason jack is a "pirate" and owes those 100 souls to davy jones is because he freed slaves. He is a horrible pirate but a 'good' man

[@dracocrusher]

Right, yeah, because Barbosa just left him the one for himself.

[@jdprettynails]

@@HighShamanMoses Yep....especially if we pretend Salazar's Revenge didn't happen.

[@robertwalker5794]

jdprettynails Which I try to at all costs.

[@defiante1]

One extra bit, Jack's eyes when he sees the poker. He is afraid of it far more than a sword because he has been branded with the pirate mark. He knows very well what it feels like to have red hot iron pressed against his skin and you see that when he stares at the end of the poker wide eyed lol

[@FallenOne669]

I always thought Jack was just surprised that Will grabbed something no one would expect to use in a sword duel. Your theory is fantastic.

[@defiante1]

@@FallenOne669 Well thank you, very kind of you to say!

[@Lucas-zk2vy]

You're overthinking it, of course his face expression is going to change in front of the risk of being burned + stabbed...

[@Mamenber]

@@Lucas-zk2vy It's quite dull so it wouldn't really cut him or pierce his skin, and while it would be quite painful and leave a nasty scar, he'd be in no danger of blood loss.

[@MrHamboneBro]

@@Mamenber When I'm afraid or frantic, I think I worry more about pain in the moment versus long term blood loss. You must be a mightier pirate than I am

[@DissectingThoughts]

What I love the most about Pirates of the Caribbean fights is that they're almost never about people whose main goal is to kill each other. Sure, when they fight, killing the opponent would probably be one way to achieve their goal, but they always have some other goal than killing the opponent. In this fight Jack is trying to escape and Will is trying to stop him from escaping. In other fights in the films the goals become weirder and often there are multiple people each with their own unique goal, but the goals make the fights more interesting, because it shifts the focus from just a bunch of people being violent at each other to a bunch of people all trying to Do Something if only these Other People would stop Getting in the Way. The fighting isn't the point in itself. It's just what happens when a lot of people are trying to accomplish mutually incompatible things at the same time. Seems like a simple thing, but in a lot of films fights are just fights; people trying to hurt each other.

[@jasonblalock4429]

Agreed. And, in general, one of the things I enjoy about the POTC series at a whole is its emphasis on motivation. The movies are constantly establishing not just what people are doing, but *why* they're doing it. Yeah, by #3 the motivations have gotten twisty to the point of self-parody, but it's so rare for blockbuster-style movies to focus on character motivation at all that it really gives the Pirates movies a very unique vibe. . Plus I love that scene on the beach in #2 where the two pirate lackeys are struggling to decipher the movie's plot. Great lampshading.

[@EvilFookaire]

An excellent example is that fight between Jack, Will and Norrington on that giant wheel in one of the later movies. All three having their own motivations, and a fluidity that permits them to switch targets as soon as one of them tells another something that the other wasn't aware of.

[@DissectingThoughts]

@@EvilFookaire Yes, I was very much thinking of that fight.

[@salvadortoscano2534]

Also, swords were primarily used for self defense, especially when there are other, more deadly weapons (GUNS) that are not as reliable for defense. The fighting is also the good guys defending themselves so they can be *alive* to achieve their goals, and getting out of the fight alive is the most important thing in *any* fight.

[@Shrooblord]

The capitalisation made this read like a TVTropes article, and I laughed. Thanks x) Also, good points!

[@awkwardenby4819]

I love the moment where Will throws his sword to lock the door. It’s a perfect way to demonstrate his character and provide a bit of foreshadowing. He doesn’t try to kill Jack, yet he goes off book and does something a bit tricky like Jack would. Like a *pirate* would. It’s just a bit of a nod to his father being a pirate and that same trait being in his blood.

[@Eidlones]

Also a mirror to the end of the film when he throws his sword to save Jack from being hanged

[@longlethanh7780]

i’ve always held the opinion that the name for the main theme - “he’s a pirate” - is a nod to Will’s identity being both a normal upstanding blacksmith, and a swashbuckling pirate. Elizabeth herself said those exact words about Will. for quite a while i’d thought the title refers to Jack instead. but the more i learnt about who precisely is/are the main character(s) of the movie, the more i realised the aforementioned notion.

[@3nertia]

@@Eidlones I think that's more like a bookend - Will's character arc starts when he meets Jack, in this fight, and essentially ends with that sword throw to save Jack thus bookending Will's character arc :D

[@StarWarsMoments]

"Say thanks to the props and...." Will do. My big brother designed and made Jack's sword, working on the first film.

[@eb33]

thats so cool!!

[@phoebeahn8941]

Woah cool!

[@jennivamp5]

Wow!

[@pinkajou656]

Seriously?????

[@quotoligest1769]

That is awesome! Send him thanks from be too. Every prop in that movie is *chef's kiss* amazing!!

[@playgroundchooser]

This scene also comes back in a big bad way on the Interceptor, when Will says "I would have killed you in a fair fight.". Jack reply is basically "then I don't have motivation to fight fair." Will learns right then about operating outside the system that society has laid before him. F'n brilliant!! From a movie based on a theme park ride that should have been garbage.

[@selty]

The script is genius and they never managed to get it perfect again in the sequels

[@sindri1447]

@DarkyInside Pirates 2 was... all right. It dragged on pretty long but a good time most of the way. Pirates 3 was just boring as all hell. That film was way too much bullshit with none of the pay off. Pirates 3 was a master class in how to waste everyone's time. The problem with the sequels is that they tried forcing Jack to the forefront when the entire thing that made him so interesting was that he was the side character and you really don't know what he's gonna do next. When you make him the hero of the movie you're missing out on his more interesting aspects. The fact that even if he might be a good man, you can never really trust him.

[@josh-oo]

@@sindri1447 Pirates 2 & 3 should be considered one movie split up into two parts, considering the story. When taken in that context, the third film works fine. It's the second half of an admittedly long film, but a lot of the story beats and plot hooks work better and make more sense if you adjust your expectations accordingly.

[@8-bitsarda747]

I believe the exact line Jack responds with is "Well that's not much incentive for me to fight fairly, now is it?"

[@Nyghtking]

I think Jack is like Salt, salt can add something good or something that was missing to a dish, but you would never want to just eat salt. Jack is a nice additive to the series, he adds humor and some cunning and unpredictability, but he's an additive, on his own he isn't vary enjoyable.

[@buildinasentry1046]

Good analogy

[@bonnibbel6177]

Yeah, but the 4th movie is still good, even if not great in comparison to the previous. Now the 5th is just the worst in the analogy, shit food with not enough salt, at least all of this imho

[@lilyannavalley6057]

Agreed. Well put

[@myrianrose3619]

that's really true, it's interesting to see what jack's inclusion does to a scene, but if you over-jack it, it tastes irredeemably terrible and is not good for you

[@CrysJaL]

The character was originally meant to be a comic relief side character, but then it evolved into what it became, in no small aprt due to Depp.

[@MadSwedishGamer]

"You cheated! In a fair fight I'd beat you!" "Not much incentive for me to fight fair then, is it?"

[@Quinntus79]

The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

[@WyldeTripKY]

The pirate taking advantage of the good lad's "lawful good" tendency is something I never even considered. I mean I did consider it on a very minimal level. Pirates cheat and take advantage of those that dont but I never put it into the thought of "lawful good". I love that you pointed that out.

[@171QA]

“I don’t have an opinion because I haven’t seen it yet.” That is great. I’m pretty sure I paraphrased it, but it’s really good.

[@themonkeeman]

in... the video...

[@mysticdawn7569]

@@MathasiaJ 1:45 in the video

[@ProudPapaJD]

Imagine that, reserving judgment until you’ve seen a thing?!? Preposterous! 😂😂

[@brycealthoff8092]

ProudPapaJD I know right? Completely unacceptable internet behavior!

[@Shrooblord]

Agreed!

[@jackychen6261]

Jack says to Will “this bullet isn’t meant for you mate, step aside” or something along those lines. Which so early in the movie of course makes the viewer curious to find out what the purpose of his bullet really is. Not to mention that Norrington remarked the fact Jack was only carrying one bullet earlier when he captured him at the docks.

[@KerbalFacile]

For a sailor, it's a pretty clear allusion: that Jack had been marooned. Traditionally, the marooned get a pistol with a single bullet, to end their suffering. So when he says the bullet is meant for someone in particular... that's an interesting twist.

[@laszlokaestner5766]

@@KerbalFacile I have always assumed that he meant it was for Barbossa, as pay back for marooning Jack after the mutiny.

[@tmac8396]

@@laszlokaestner5766 In Barbosa's eyes it was meant for Jack to use on himself when left on the island. In Jack's eyes it is meant for Barbosa for his mutiny.

[@phoebeahn8941]

I love how consistent their characters were in this fight scene. It's just a 5 min scene but tells more about the characters than most hour long movies. Even the way Jack wins the fight is cheap, dirty, and effective which is exactly who he is.

[@joeldomenichini5038]

“Jack is at best intermittently cool”. Ahh, that’s why the rums gone.

[@Pratchettgaiman]

Technically one doesn’t buckle one’s swash, one swashes one’s buckler

[@lazerbeams2536]

@@MathasiaJ it might take a level of dexterity that I find pretty unlikely to do both at once

[@52nerfguy]

@@MathasiaJ TIL a "Swash-buckler" derives its name from their choice of weaponry, a swash (light sword) and buckler (small shield). Thank you for this information

[@zynstein]

@@MathasiaJ but can you swash a swash and buckle a buckler?

[@septegram]

As in Romeo and Juliet: "Gregory, remember thy swashing blow."

[@The_Bird_Bird_Harder]

@@zynstein You certainly can! Most bucklers were actually worn on the belt.

[@Duddeldink]

"I do not have an opinion on this because I haven't seen it yet" The world needs more people like you

[@vanzetti1927]

"Balance could be an issue for him" omg, brb dying.

[@adsfornothing3146]

what is with this scene at the end of the 3rd movie? he stands on this thing (in german it is called rah) and fights davy jones. in a giant ma.lstrom

[@PortCharmers]

@@adsfornothing3146 it's called a yard. It's logical that a pirate has more balance issues on dry land, or when the rum is gone (again).

[@charliebradlyn5313]

Honestly it’s because he spends so much time rocking on a boat that when he’s on land, he sways like a drunk because he’s so used to countering the ship. (or, you know, he is drunk cause hey it’s Jack)

[@andreagriffiths3512]

@@charliebradlyn5313 you’re right! It takes a while to get your sea-legs but what few realise is, is that it takes just as much time to get your land-legs back again…also not helped if you’re suddenly caught sober with no rum to hand.

[@FaeChangeling]

What I love is the contrast between Will having plenty of practice in a safe environment and Jack having real world combat experience. Will does things by the book while Jack does whatever he can to survive and that's what eventually wins him the fight. But you'll also notice that Will gradually realises the tone of the fight and adapts to it; at first he's only moving forward and back, but then he starts moving side to side, and by the end of the fight he's using all the verticality he has and moving all around the environment but at every step it's lead by Jack doing the same and Will copying it, and Will comes out of it a better fighter as a result.

[@no_nameyouknow]

It's also very much a "swashbuckling" fight. Even though they are in a workshop, it almost feels like they are on a ship with the fighting on a moving platform, changing levels, and various contraptions and wooden beams getting in the way.

[@maxgrieve]

So many small details I love about this fight. 1. Jack's "how's your footwork" line shows he's enough of a scholar to know the fundamentals, but citing textbook principles in the moment feels like the go-to of someone who doesn't simply live by them. Also: confidence is quiet. It establishes Jack is a combatant to be reckoned with, but Will's impassiveness suggests he's much further within his personal comfort zone. 2. Jack's defensive swipes when Will jams his chained (left?) hand into the ceiling beam. Yes, his sword arm's free, but his movement and balance are impeded and he panics into desperate slashes rather than the fight just continuing with more variants on parry/riposte. 3. For me, the best detail about how Jack 'cheats' to end the fight isn't the cocoa powder or the cocked gun, but how he disarms Will - by just kicking the sword out of his hand. Comes across as the ultimate way to disrespect Will's concept of an honourable 'fair fight'. Thing I like most about the Pirates fights generally is I remember reading somewhere they drew up an ordered list of characters by skill level. IIRC it was Will first, then Barbossa, then Norrington, then Jack. And the choices and approaches we see each character take in fights (and sometimes the outside agency or 'cheating' they require to avoid losing) is not only informed by this order, but subtly reinforces it. Great stuff.

[@HurrikanEagle]

I had to pause this video, having been binging your content for the last 2 days. When you introduce Captain Jack Sparrow with Lonely Island in teh background, it's pure *chef kiss*

[@silentguy123]

"This is the tale of Captain Jack Sparrow , Pirate so brave on the seven seas"... Thanks for putting the lonely island in the background, song immediately stuck in my head

[@eanna3781]

Just to let you know, the powder that Jack cover will with is sand. Blacksmiths of the time would it to quickly smother a fire if a spark from the forge ignite some straw. Also count another subscriber among your ranks! It was a very well done video with a nice flow that I found quite fascinating! Loved it!

[@KRJayster]

For extra fun, according to the commentary, for the safety of the actors and crew - especially Orlando Bloon who was getting a face full of it, the "sand" is actually chocolate powder. XD

[@timrosswood4259]

@@KRJayster That was already said in the video.

[@bibbobella]

Im actually shocked it wasn't sand..Like..looking at it now it makes sense that it is coco powder but never saw it as anything but sand.

[@elliotsmith9812]

Sans seems unlikely. It seems like blacksmiths are always adding some sort of flux to their creations which has a consistency more like chocolate.

[@alamramirezruiz8862]

I always thinked it suppose to be iron oxide

[@Danne1886]

Jack pulling up to that doc is one of the most epic character intros of all time. Seeing it for the first time as a kid is my earliest memory of having the feeling that this movie/show is about to get really awesome.

[@stevegeorge6880]

Other YT channels: let's break down this fight in terms of weapons, striking technique, footwork, and editing. Jill: Let us seek to understand this in terms of motivation, action as dialogue, and the scene in relation to the story. Great work as always. Do you have a brief summary opinion of the final fight scene in Rob Roy (1995)?

[@JillBearup]

It's my instructor Duncan's favourite movie fight. (You may remember him from my Kate and Petruchio video). I haven't seen the whole movie, but the fight itself is (chef's kiss)

[@andrewklang809]

@@JillBearup You mean both sword fights, right? There's an earlier one that's still pretty fun. It's on KZbin as well. Watched it last week. The movie as a whole's a little rough in spots. Not fun matinee viewing. Except when Liam Neeson cuts Tim Roth in half. IN HALF! *spoilersitsbeentwentyfiveyears*

[@genghisfarn]

@@JillBearup this is your first vid I've seen. I can't lie I was sceptical at first but you've praised my favourite movie of all time and I thought it was very well thought out, got a new sub :)

[@ezraong713]

WHAT about cinema wins?

[@Brigadier9]

There is a basket-hilted backsword in the collection Inveraray Castle which was used on a mounted British dragoon and split him right through his steel helmet. The evidence on the blade is clear, as is the connection to the recorded event. The guy who put the story and the sword together also owns Rob Roy MacGregor's broadsword, Paul MacDonald of MacDonald Armouries of Edinburgh.

[@planclops]

I don’t know why, but that mention of multi-layered lasagna hit deep. Love me some high quality lasagna.

[@JillBearup]

Not that I was hungry while writing the script, buuuuuut...

[@qwertyTRiG]

100-layer lasagna: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmbOm4Jjp7mimdU

[@elliotsmith9812]

@@JillBearup go back and re-watch "The Big Night." No violence, but OMG, ultimate lasagna.

[@Shrooblord]

@@JillBearup I definitely am now. And I just had breakfast dammit

[@taitano12]

Ok then! Time to make my 15 layer lasagne. 😋

[@cleverusername9369]

Love that you put the Lonely Island Jack Sparrow song while you're talking about him, well done.

[@mnorth1351]

I was trying to think of why that was familiar, then I got it. I couldn't believe it wasn't higher up in the comments!

[@impp18]

I am so glad I'm not crazy for thinking I heard that. Also, it was a hilarious reference. Well done Jill

[@have7476]

I looked vary hard for this comment. I wish it was high.

[@shaidydreamer]

Ditto above; I scrolled looking for this comment for about half the video, so now I have to go rewatch from the beginning. 😆

[@williamozier918]

I always loved how they expressed character through swords in this movie. The absolutely most well done aspect of using swords to show character is: In the beginning Will gives the fancy dan sword with gold inlay to the noble and says its some of his best work, yet Will's best work is his own personal sword, which we see is the simplest looking sword in the entire shop, yet it is the best for actual fighting. That tells us SO much about Will in one small detail its crazy. I would say it is second only to the way Back to the Future used the opening pan of Doc's lab to introduce us to and make us love his character long before he even came on screen.

[@mallenwho]

The "cocoa powder" is probably representing flux. It's the glue used in forging and forge welding. Irons and cast irons don't stick well to each other, even when melted together. Flux helps to join them and make them mechanically strong. Normally, you put two hot bits of metal together and strike them - nothing happens. The SPARKS FLYING when you see blacksmiths working is actually the flux in the middle of the joint ejected from the joint, taking scale, oxidisation and other impurities with it so the actual iron can be properly joined.

[@playgroundchooser]

I just learned something awesome from a KZbin comment. Thank you!!

[@Shrooblord]

Epic and detailed comment. Thank you so much!

[@jimstanley_49]

Not glue, but the rest is pretty much correct. The flux dissolves the oxides to expose pure metal in the joint.

[@mallenwho]

@@jimstanley_49 yeah "glue" should be in commas. It's a necessary ingredient to combine the materials. It's not actually a binding agent

[@adinin]

@@mallenwho its probably just picking nits at this point, but flux isnt necessary for forge welding. It makes it much easier and is very helpful, but if you are careful to have a clean surface or have a sealed environment, its possible to do it without. As has been said above, flux protects the metal and helps to prevent oxides from forming as well as dissolving them on the surface. The oxide (or scale) wont weld, but will stay in a joint causing weak points where the metal doesnt fuse. Also, when welding like that, you heat the metal to just under the point where the surface is actually molten, that is what gets you a good join. The sparks are a combination of molten metal, scale and flux.

[@Sòl_2716]

10:37 balance would be an issue, probably because he spends all of his time on board a ship, so he may have permanent "sea legs" so to speak, and therefore balance on dry land and, by extension, fighting, would be more difficult.

[@EnjoyCocaColaLight]

Only for a few days.

[@cloroker2058]

Let's be real here: although sea legs are a factor, this is Capt. Jack Sparrow. In this, and every other scene, he is drunk as fuck.

[@stinkynoodles8312]

@@cloroker2058 that's true, that's true

[@cloudysky9248]

Look, he's a pirate, sea legs or not he will either be permanently trying to sea balance or be drunk. The ocean is an unpredictable place, I'm surprised he doesn't wobble more

[@ericfleming5522]

Believe it or not, you eventually get used to the transition. Or at least I did, but I've also never experienced sea sickness, so maybe my inner ear is just weirdly agnostic to my environment. Delighted that this conversation took a turn from one of my favorite movie scenes to one of my favorite hobbies.

[@42roadsforman]

"The plot...exists" haha! Captain Jack Sparrow's entrance in this film is easily one of the best character entrances ever. I can't rightly say I have an opinion on a reboot without Johnny Depp or Captain Jack Sparrow as I've only just heard of such a notion from your video. But I will say this. The first time I saw this movie I don't know if I could recall ever having laughed or had such a good time watching a character on film (next to The Blues Brothers). Johnny Depp made this movie. He was so enigmatic and yet very endearing. While I enjoyed the entire film I just could not get enough of Captain Jack Sparrow. Brilliant analysis. (With regards to your counting book, in one of your acting portraits many people said you look like a teacher. I'll bet you didn't expect that to come to pass so literally. 😃)

[@michaelsinger4638]

I think if anyone could make it work, Margot Robbie could. She’s got experience playing chaotic yet strangely likeable rogues already after all.

[@kerricaine]

"If he cut you would you die of blood loss or tetanus first?" Shabby sword: +3 poison damage

[@planclops]

I need to watch that movie again! Such a fun ride of a movie.

[@Fotoschiki]

"Theatrical violence, the art of pretending to hurt people" You hooked me after 20 seconds.

[@luggilu7864]

"this bullet is not ment for you" excellent and natural foreshadowing.

[@sleepinggorilla]

I’ve always felt that this is how the first act of Episode II should have gone. Anakin being more like Will Turner. talented, humble, in love with Padme, but Unwilling to break the rules of the Jedi who he owes his life to.

[@sleepinggorilla]

Anakin was supposed to be a "Great warrior, a skilled pilot, and a good friend." Instead, he was depicted as an arrogant, reckless, asshole who whined about being held back by Obi-Wan and the Jedi. The Jedi looked liked complete idiots by not dealing with his behavior. What was the goal of the story? A bad person, does bad things, and until he dies badly to the relief of the audience who hates him?

[@crystalwolcott4744]

Didn't this come out just a few years later? I wonder if it's failure to do just that had any influence on the writers when they worked on Will Turner.

[@PhileasLiebmann]

Also with Will in the literal image foreground of this fight most of the time early on it simultaneously reinforces that this is his workshop and his home, his space in which he is experienced, causing the occasions when Jack turns the table on him and the camera changes perspective to reflect that to feel even more dramatic, and establishing that he indeed has such a place as that didn't exactly jump out at you when he was being awkward in the governor's mansion. This is later juxtaposed to him appearing comparatively small in scenes that take place further and further outside his comfort zone only to return to dominating the screen in the final scene as he comes into his own. And this perspective also sets Will firmly in the mind of the audience as the protagonist (alongside Elizabeth), which initially the movie makes hard to notice otherwise, seeing as how it has been split nearly evenly between like 5 characters up to now. Basically this fight is the cinematic crux of the entire Curse of the Black Pearl movie and maybe of the whole Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy.

[@PenneySounds]

Jack's last line in the scene is also a rare moment of sincerity and vulnerability for a usually confident and comedic character. One that teases something deeper going on.

[@bearlizz3736]

YESSSSS! I absolutely love this movie, and this scene has always been a highlight for me. I have always known this scene is great, but I don’t have the skills yet to really explain why. This articulated my feelings in a really cool way. Thanks!

[@GreyAcumen]

I am going to say 3 things: 1) At the start of the movie, I was already sharpening my "Princess Bride is better" riposte, but you made a damn good point; the best fight scenes are the scenes that communicate both to the audience and each other. A good fight is a dialogue all of its own. Princess Bride probably had more overall action and combat, possibly even a better overall show of skill, and it did communicate a lot about the two characters. However it ultimately all boiled down to "We are both incredible swordsman who have studied all over, and we respect each other very much" and I just cannot deny that the fight between Jack and Will blows that out of the water, just on sheer quantity of nuanced information being conveyed, both to the audience and each other. 2) I would argue that ANY of the 3 main cast are necessary for a PotC movie to BE a PotC movie. The last 2 thought they could get by on Jack and Barbosa, but they're both just different levels of morally ambiguous bickering jockeying for king of the hill. It was Elizabeth and Will that turned the balance into Moral vs Immoral; but that balance was only maintained due to the strength of Elizabeth and Will as characters, who could stand on even footing with Jack and Barbosa. The last 2 movies had some moral characters, but they were barely established and just not able to take center stage (whether because of directer choice, actor talent, or simply by virtue of character recognition) and function as a proper foil for Jack or Barbosa. These new moral characters could only be swept up in and taken along for a ride with Jack/Barbosa's schemes, while Elizabeth and Will had their own plans and intentions for which they took control of that tempest; they gave as good as they got. With this in mind, I think it's safe to speculate; a PotC movie without Jack wont be a good PotC movie, but that's because even a PotC movie WITH Jack will still not be a good PotC movie without a "moral" cast strong enough to stand up to him. In order to succeed they need to have something just as powerful and evocative as Jack, while being absolutely nothing like Jack. 3) Now I'm going to have to dig up PotC and watch it again.

[@zoemalone5769]

i've heard it said that Elizabeth is the protagonist. her desires drive the plot... Jack is just kind of vibing.

[@jeremypnet]

@@zoemalone5769 in the DVD commentary, the writers explicitly state that Elizabeth is the protagonist.

[@TheObliviousRose]

Yes yes yes! Jill, you never disappoint. I've loved this fight forever and you articulate why far better than I could.

[@noizetv4240]

I know how people feel about later sequels, but Jack has always been a delight to me. No matter the outrageous plot.

[@FireLordIroh]

He becomes a parody of himself later on. Constantly stumbling through all conflicts rarely in control rather to the Jack from Pirates 1. In the first he puts on the facade of a bumbling idiot to give himself time to set-up then strike. In the new ones he is ACTUALLY the bumbling idiot he once used as a front. Once you watch the sequels with this insight it will never feel the same. The Curse of the Black Pearl is truly an enigma. Near Perfect.

[@a_fine_edition2746]

@KingBlade the only Pirates film that I felt changed Jack substantially was the newest one. All the others in my opinion stayed true to his character’s wit while also keeping the right amount of goofiness in. He wasn’t completely incompetent in any of the films except for Dead Men Tell No Tales, and sometimes his skill would even reach the ludicrous levels. But I still thoroughly enjoy the original three, while having mixed opinions on the fourth and being very disappointed with the fifth.

[@Ignasimp]

@@a_fine_edition2746 i agree. I love the original trilogy, the fourth film was quite bland and the fifth was really bad.

[@liveoffthewall]

@@a_fine_edition2746 Johnny Depp had made it known that he was unhappy with the latest film for a number of reasons. He tried to do things a certain way and disagreed with a number of story lines but ultimately with the trouble in his own personal life just gave up I guess. Hopefully should there be a 6th film they make of for it. At least the 4th film had substance.

[@a_fine_edition2746]

@Maheen I agree. A final film would be awesome, but they really need to be careful with how they do it. The fifth one fell flat to me for a number of reasons, mainly the focus on the new characters. Henry and Carina weren’t particularly interesting to me, with Carina straight up getting on my nerves (side note: her whole character skill is reading the stars, but weren’t sailors using stars to navigate for centuries at this point? You’d think pirates as well-versed as Jack and his crew would be familiar with this type of navigation, but apparently not). And making Carina Barbossa’s daughter felt thrown in for the sake of it and so Barbossa could make a noble sacrifice at the end. The new villains looked cool, but they just didn’t have the same presence as Davy Jones, though I think Salazar is better than Blackbeard by a wide margin. The action scenes left a lot to be desired, with there being no proper sword fight the entire film (no, those two little skirmishes with Jack and Salazar don’t count). The movie breaks several established rules from the previous films, including how Jack’s compass (so that they can advance the new film’s plot by changing how Jack got it and how giving it away somehow means Salazar is freed, something Jack did several times in the other films but didn’t set Salazar loose) and The Flying Dutchman work (it’s not a curse, it’s a duty. They aren’t the same, at least not in my opinion). Overall, it’s a very disappointing entry where Jack’s character is completely butchered.

[@the_piano_diva]

I love how she says "will's sword is well made, just like himself"...I was just like "Heck yeah!!"😍😂😂

[@cameron4148]

Your commentary gives us a richer understanding of the characters that I didn't even know existed but had possibly absorbed without knowing. So entertaining!

[@petrino]

the cocoa powder is probably a representation of sand used for molds for pommels and guards.

[@brentonclark9506]

My uneducated guess would have been some sort of carbonizing agent for steel, this sounds much more likely.

[@petrino]

@@brentonclark9506 than a blacksmith makings molds for pommels?

[@brentonclark9506]

@@petrino Sorry, your suggestion about molds seems more likely than my idea, that's what I was trying and evidently failing to say. :)

[@markbruckard7823]

As a blacksmith, casting sand is very different. Casting sand would be green because of the green bentonite clay which is added to help it hold shapes better when slightly damp. If you look at what Jack grabs, it is the tube connecting the bellows to the fire. The powder is just ash and dust from the bellows.

[@petrino]

@@markbruckard7823 really? it looks EXACTLY like it to me. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGXdoqWvi5yiqKs. i don't doubt you, but I've cast brass in sand for 10 years :P not a blacksmith, just hoobyist

[@MotiviqueStudio]

I just stumbled on your page like a week ago and you are rapidly becoming one of my favorite channels.

[@isaacchan8685]

The feel when you're so early only 480p loads smoothly

[@oronthecorn9764]

This is one of the very few movies I wish I could see for the first time again.

[@syd4890]

The moment when Lonely Island songs feat. Michael Bolton plays on the background XD

[@ZhouTai08]

Jack also ends the fight saying that his shot isn’t meant for Will, which elicits that raised eyebrow response from Will. I love the Pirates movies!

[@TheJackOfFools]

Your analysis of the Flirty Zorro fight was on my feed yesterday. Today I got this. Both were great, and now I'm subbed!

[@ElanorNarmolanya]

This will probably forever be my favorite movie sword fight 🥰 It's such a shame that copyright doesn't allow you to include the music, because the way the blows and phrases are punctuated by the music, how it builds tension and highlights the clashes.... the fight is amazing, but it wouldn't be what it is without the music. Like you said, perfection. Great job on the video!

[@VangolaGear]

I’m looking into getting into writing and there will be a fair amount of combat. So these kinds of analysis would help tremendously. Thank you for posting them.

[@poja82]

Almost every scene in this movie has more than one layer. MASTERPIECE.

[@KosherCookery]

I’m not sure what to make of Will’s reluctance to kill from a historical standpoint. He’s not a gentleman, which means his fencing education should have been relatively practical (assuming he isn’t supposed to be self-taught, which would just be ridiculous). The one thing all the historical treatises seem to hammer home in terms of tactics is that putting down the enemy fast is a swordsman’s most reliable means of staying alive (since the longer a fight goes the greater the odds of a fatal mistake). That said of course, fights that last more than a few passes are the exception, not the rule (though obviously that doesn’t make for exciting television). It just seems a bit strange to me that he would be sufficiently trained to not fall on his face during all the fancy footwork, but not yet have the muscle memory to hit on target with his ripostes the minute he makes a parry. Granted, I’m a fencing guy not a theatre guy, so maybe I’m overanalyzing. Fun channel, by the way.

[@TamsinV]

I know your comment is a bit old, but the movie does imply an answer to this. You see, Will doesn't want to kill Jack - he wants to prove himself, as Jack correctly guesses. As Jill points out he never gets credit for anything, and he spends most of his life being looked down on. So what he wants is to prove himself outright better than Jack, and drag him to the guards and Elizabeth alive to show his worth and quality. You'll notice he has no problem killing at other points in the movie, even throwing an axe into someone's back, but with Jack in that scene, he's got another motivation.

[@TheDcraft]

Could just be that he practices his footwork way more often than parrying and ripostes. This could be explained from a practical point in that practicing footwork doesn't require a practice partner while the second does (or at least I imagine that it does).

[@anna-maymoon1001]

Also another thing to note - he's probably self taught. If you take into account his outsider status (class, pulled from a shipwreck etc.) it begs the question - who would teach him? Soldiers maybe? I bet he watched from afar while his master was passed out drunk and went home and practiced. Or perhaps while he was travelling to find his father he asked to be taught sword fighting and then practised drill every day until he was expert. Idk he's very outside the lines as a character which is why he tries to be so IN the lines around his peers (who Honeslty probably wouldn't have acknowledged him IRL bc rich people suck).

[@mleahy7079]

Will IS self taught. During the fight when Jack asks who made all the swords in the blacksmith Will replies he did & practices with them three hours a day.

[@golwenlothlindel]

I think you may have hit on the point by accident. It’s not that he isn’t well trained enough for his ripostes to hit. Knowing how to kill a man, and actually doing it are very different things. Will knows how to kill a man, but has never actually done it. It is our instinct not to kill. Much like great apes, our instinct is to make a threat display when we are threatened: but not to hurt or kill. The evolutionary reason for this is that before the advent of medicine, nearly any wound could be fatal. The elaborate sword-fighting is Will’s threat display: the hope being that his opponent will be intimidated and disengage. Will has never killed before, and doesn’t want to: but knows how to do so in theory.

[@roweproductions9424]

Here from Cinema Wins. Really cool for that kind of shoutout 🙂👍🏻

[@MsShySkye]

Here from CinemaWins!!!

[@Shrooblord]

+

[@highroller5335]

I wanna know what the analytics are since that wins video because this just popped up in my reccomend feed

[@elizabethgourde4474]

I wrote my senior year AP Language final on POTC 1 and a LARGE part of my analysis pivoted on this scene. We touched many of the same points but I adore your presentation and you took it a few steps forward. Thank you for appreciating such a work of art and for showing others why they should admire it, too.

[@lordgalesdeep]

I just now realize that it's not a poker but an unfinished sword will grabs.

[@Coolman13355]

works either way

[@ThePhobicSuperior]

I also love the little moment right before the fight begins. Will is standing there with perfect form and posture, the textbook duelist, while Jack bends his knees and plays with his sword... you can tell that Jack has fought a lot and loves doing it, while Will is, as always, perfectly proper and correct. Brilliant moments in this fight scene.

[@jcplays5831]

A hanger is a very interesting sword to wield. I know a good bit in swords and while a hanger has more range than a regular cutlass, it has quite a few downsides that come with that. A hanger is harder to keep clean and in check than a cutlass. It’s harder to sharpen with the extra length, which isn’t the worst thing, but it also has a tendency to rust a lot easier than a cutlass especially with at the tip. The biggest problem that comes with that extra length is the weight distribution. It’s a lot harder to wield and fight with as the center of mass is a little different and weirder to use. All that said, it’s perfect for Jack because it’s dirty and hard to keep in check, but great for a conflict

[@avantegarde7797]

I am always amazed at how you, Jill, break down a scene. I know some of it is your fight training, but you toss in enough outside of that, which makes it more than just the breakdown of the fights. Your insights into character and motivation, et all, is most impressive. I learn so much each time I tune in. THANK YOU !

[@zendikarisparkmage2938]

THANK YOU for making a One X-cellent Scene video about Nightcrawler! I thought about watching the full playlist of One X-cellent Scenes, but there were just SO MANY videos in that playlist! I decided to only watch the ones of KZbinrs I knew. And yours. I had never heard of your or your channel, but I knew I loved that Nightcrawler scene, so I figured I'd watch your video about it. That video made me want to subscribe to your channel and watch all your fight scene analyses, AND I'M SO GLAD I DID! Your channel is awesome and so are you! I loved this video in particular, and I can't wait to watch more!

[@JillBearup]

Welcome!

[@meaganwoolstrum2897]

The song being low key in the background is *chef’s kiss*

[@AngelofGrace96]

I just discovered your channel from the X-cellent scene playlist and I love it so far! Your informative, easy to understand, and funny breakdowns of film fights are very very good. Thank you!

[@JillBearup]

Welcome! I hope you like it here.

[@larkincarmichael4773]

Okay hold up I clicked because I like pirates but your hair is ON POINT

[@nicholasberkeley2228]

The only problem I had with this fight, is that it's clearly the best fight in the film, and it makes the rest of the fights feel anti-climactic from then on. Everything was was pretty flawless. Great analysis.

[@monsterbash9758]

I love Jack's final line in that scene. So dramatic! So mysterious!

[@Skye_Writer]

My favorite part of the entire fight is 3:49 just before they start, when Will accuses Jack of "threatening Miss Swan." The way Jack slides and turns his sword blade both down and back up Will's while saying, "Only a little..." is just so damn cool to me. I don't even know why. There's a slightly threatening gleam in his eye and tone to his voice, and it was something I can't recall having seen before. But something about it told me I was about to see a great fight. :)

[@Caitlin_Mitchell]

God I freaking LOVE THIS MOVIE. Thank you so much for making me love it EVEN MORE

[@stephenadams8712]

Jack moral compass isn't shaky it just doesn't point North

[@Site_42]

A wonderful fight, and an equally wonderful analysis. Brava!

[@katz86]

You always entertain while making me thing and educating me. Thank you.

[@kyleaegis5613]

My favorite video regarding my favorite scene from one of my favorite franchises. Thank you for walking us through this wondrous sequence!

[@TheQuietCottage]

"his human corkscrew of a personality" 😂😂

[@khfan4life365]

This fight was perfect. Perfectly acted, perfectly choreographed, even the music is perfect. Pirates 1-3 are my favorite in the series.

[@KoolWithAQ]

I'm only finding out about this channel now?? What the hell KZbin algorithm! I subbed after one video, and now I've got so much to catch up on!!

[@dmsabina]

I've waited for this video 10 years of my life. Thank you so much!

[@jennyholiday88]

Just found your channel! I love the quality and content!! As a theater major, it's so interesting ^-^ the only time we've talked about stage fight choreography in any class was short lived because our teacher gave up as we nearly lobbed off three students heads

[@JillBearup]

BAHAHAHA your poor teacher XD

[@jennyholiday88]

@@JillBearup we're a small department so it was probably for the best

[@qwertyTRiG]

@@jennyholiday88 Ah, students are expendable.

[@KickyFut]

Which means you successfully lopped off *two* heads and just didn't succeed with the third?!?😱 Where was the teacher???

[@nothanks7919]

the cost of being a good man following his heart. beautifully put.

[@chiggsytube]

Only one caveat: Will made a strategic error when he brought Jack up to the rafters. A sailor would be quite at home in the rafters, since they have to clamber up, down and around the rigging of a ship in all weathers, much more so, one would think, than a blacksmith, the nature of who's job consists of hammering red hot metal, which is best done on a very steady surface. Caveat 2: Will lives at a time long before the idea that "all men are equal." He declares his feelings for Liz and he would be subject to any number of draconian punishments the English were known to employ. Great content though, and thanks!

[@Daniela3969]

Disagree with the first one, Jack is always at sea, the ship is always rocking. Any stable surface would feel off balance to Jack, and the rafters is an immobile, small surface.

[@chiggsytube]

@@Daniela3969 No, Jack is always fighting, and often is at sea. Jack's nimbleness is something he has on land and sea because of his life as a sailor. Absolutely he is more at home balancing on elevated planks than Will, a blacksmith, can possibly be. Jack's balance in all situations is how he escapes most of his scrapes!

[@Juli-zg7sj]

No matter the experience or comfort in the rafters, it's hard to balance while drunk, as Jack frequently is. And as a sailor myself I don't do a lot of balance beam type walking. Jack is a Captain. He doesn't do THAT much work anymore while sailing like he might have when younger.

[@chiggsytube]

@@Juli-zg7sj Jack is not drunk when he fights will. In the franchise, several times Jack is fighting for his life during a storm, in the rigging, he's been doing that since he was a kid. In fact, Jack Sparrow's core competency is his balance. He is perfectly comfortable fighting that octopus faced guy, He fights balanced on a giant wheel, he fights in a ship teetering on the edge of a cliff, all with equal facility. It's actually quite impressive that Will holds his own in the rafters. Upon reflection, Will's character is kind of skinny for a blacksmith. A young dude swinging a hammer all day every day working with red hot iron should have been throwing things from the ground at Jack, until he came down, and then aiming to put Jack's back to the forge, for the reversal and a chance for grudging respect from Jack. They whiff on this all franchise. Will fights like a pirate Legolas, when he should be have a more direct powerful style. Not like a pirate Gimli, but more like a pirate Agent Smith. Poor from the writers tbh.

[@maddiesenator5491]

Nah, Will wouldn't have been given a draconian punishment for admitting how he felt about Elizabeth. He would probably just be laughed at for thinking he could have a chance with someone so far above his rank.

[@smalls9852]

Absolutely one of my favorite fight scenes ever. The brilliant weave of story, fight, character reveal, music, editing, etc is so incredibly captivating.

[@katarinanavane]

Second best movie sword fight in my book, after the cliffs of insanity in the princess bride

[@360Effects]

Ive been a fencer for many years now and am a filmmaker by trade and good god it's such a breath of fresh air to hear someone who knows exactly what they're talking about!!! I love this channel now!

[@Satherian]

"The price of being a good man" This fits incredibly well with the story of how Jack got the Black Pearl

[@KurtAngle89]

I've seen A LOT of videos about this movie, but your description was the most accurate ever

[@austinhelm2474]

In the blacksmithing world, there is something called flux. It is used by welders as well, in order to help bond steel together. The powder thrown at him was a kind of flux used in blacksmithing, most notably when folding iron or attaching pieces to each other. The cross piece for example.

[@xario2007]

Thank you, your enthusiasm and knowledge about stage fights made this video a blast to watch and I learned something about fights in movies. So again, thank you!

[@edu-kt]

IMO Pirates of the Caribbean without Jonny Deep will be a total failure, and by the way, I would love to be wrong on this.

[@Generalfoley]

At 6:35, your talk of phrases and learning the fight choreography piece by piece is actually giving me ideas for handling encounters with my fellow players in my next D&D game (in which we've been chaotic as frig). Despite probably not being the comment you expected, thank you for enlightening me in such a manner.

[@afilthycasualplays4007]

I'll be honest, I always thought the reason Will looked confused at the end of the fight, was because he saw his master sneaking up on Jack. I like your interpretation better.

[@spookymia8135]

"I do not have an opinion on this because I have not seen it yet" bless you for this statement alone.

[@theknightsofnee3327]

'we have Jack, we have Will, and we have...' Me: 'she forgot the donkey'

[@noneayourbusiness5149]

My incredibly short experience with theatrical fight choreography has only made my appreciation of scenes like this expand. It's awesome that you're sharing your knowledge and experience to help others reach a similar increased appreciation! :)

[@graemetang4173]

1:36 "This is the tale~~ of CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW!!!!"

[@chrisleffler6490]

I very much enjoy your analysis of fighting in this context, it's brilliant!

[@ChronoShadow69]

"First that the neat, precise personality that means he knows exactly where his hammer should be (No jokes please)..." Oh come on, not even a Captain Hammer reference?! You're killin' me!

[@GarrickSteyn]

LOVE IT! I won't be able to look at fight scenes the same...ever again!