In Their Own World
When two people fall in love there is usually a certain connection between them that places them in their own world. In Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl this happens to the characters Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Before this particular scene takes place, Elizabeth has just received a dress from her father and is getting ready for Commodore Norrington’s promotion ceremony. Her father, Governor Swann, has just received news that he has a visitor downstairs: Will Turner. The director, Gore Verbinsky, uses close ups and low angle shots to the connection between Will and Elizabeth and uses long shots and the symbol of a sword to express Will’s displacement in his environment which sets up the characters for development in the rest of the film.
During the middle of the scene, after Elizabeth gets ready she walks down the stairs. Will and Governor Swann have just ended their conversation when they both look up to her. The shot is at a slight low angle showing that Will looks up to her. The fact that the angle is slight shows that he sees himself and Elizabeth on almost the same level however she is always a little higher up then him. After Elizabeth comes down the stairs she strikes up a conversation with Will. During their conversation there are only close up shots of Will and Elizabeth. No other characters are seen in their individual shots and their eye-line matches with each other. This sets them apart from their environment showing the connection that they have with each other. However, when Will says something that Elizabeth does not like, she backs off and the scene switches to a medium shot with Governor Swann and some servants in the background. The switch to a medium shot involving other characters shows that they have lost their connection with each other. This reveals that Will and Elizabeth’s relationship is still young and they are not yet permanently connected through a loving relationship. Towards the end of the scene, there is a close up of Will saying goodbye to Elizabeth quietly. Directly after this shot there is a close up of Elizabeth in her carriage looking back to Will. These close ups again show the connection that Will and Elizabeth share and puts them in their own world where only they know how they feel about each other. This undeveloped connection between the two characters gives them something to develop in the rest of the movie.
The establishing shot of the scene is a long shot of Will standing in the entrance hall of Governor Swann’s mansion. The openness of the hall and the use of the long shot makes Will seem smaller and more out of place. The establishing long shot lasts until a servant passes in front of Will and he straitens up and nods his head in a greeting manner. This reveals that although Will feels uncomfortable, he acts as if he is used to the wealthier environment showing his want to be part of it. Towards the end of the scene, as the carriage rolls away with Elizabeth and the Governor inside, the camera zooms out into a long shot of Will walking down the steps. The use of a long shot juxtaposes Will with the mansion and makes him seem smaller and more displaced. When the Governor comes down to meet Will, Will takes out the sword that he made for the Governor. Whenever Will is talking about the sword or handling it, he is in a medium shot, showing he is a more comfortable in his environment when he has the sword. The only long shots in this part of the scene are when Will is giving the sword to Governor Swann. This reveals the sword as a symbol of Will’s comfort. When he has the sword in his hands he feels more comfortable in his environment. When Will is giving the sword away to the Governor, he looses the that comfort that he once felt with the sword in his grasp. Will’s discomfort in his environment and his want to fit in in his environment gives his something to develop in the rest of the film. Also, when Will permanently gives away his sword, it is a symbol of him giving away his comfort forcing him to develop that comfort level on his own.
Gore Verbinsky intentionally uses close ups and low angle shots to show Will and Elizabeth’s connection and he uses long shots and a symbol of a sword to demonstrate Will’s discomfort in his environment. This sets up Will and Elizabeth’s characters for their development through the rest of the movie. In the end of the movie, Will and Elizabeth establish their permanent connection and Will becomes more comfortable in his environment. Will and Elizabeth both come out of their comfort areas and engage in an adventure that makes them the people they have always wanted to be.
(britni thanks mrs.wecker for being a really great teacher and would appreciate it if she gave her a good grade on this paper because she is barely holding on to an A and she would like to keep it)
oh yeah and we took a class pic! :)
