the Dalaverse

Just a few observations on the third viewing. This was actually the first time I felt the length. I still don't see anything that deserves cutting in particular, such as the Cannibal Island sequence could have been cut down in DMC. Yeah, the film is stuffed to the gills and would have been better as two or more installments, but I think it's crammed pretty handily and I'd still rather have more than less. It was mostly seeing a three-hour movie for the third time in four days that got me antsy, no matter how I adore it. Dad loved it, too, especially Keith Richards. My points:

--This one I've been forgetting to remark upon: Keira's delivery of "He made me captain" is worthy of her entire salary. In that one sentence and in her expression, there's wonder and confusion and pride and apprehension and satisfaction. It's one of my favorite line readings in the entire trilogy.

--Never noticed that Ragetti is whittling himself a new eye at the end. Hee.

--Also at the end, there is a yellow strip of cloth tied to the mast of Jack's dinghy. Barbossa wears a yellow sash. Cheeky fellow.

--I finally stopped automatically searching for Jack Davenport's face above every blue coat after his death.

--I said before that I understood the parlay scene, but there was yet more nuance to be had. This time I realized, given the line that basically amounted to "You tell on me, I'll tell on you," that Barbossa too knew about the plan for Jack to stab the heart. And it makes sense for him to guess it too, because he had that conversation with Jack about death. There's also a look exchanged between Will and Jack after Will says "No cause is lost if there is but one fool left to fight for it." This plays like a reference to an ealier conversation - maybe it was cut, or does anybody recall a line that might be connected to it?

--Historical flags that appear in this film, aside from the Pearl's (Jack Rackham's), as best I can remember: Henry Avery (the sideways-facing skull on Jack's dinghy flag, though the sparrow is all his), Bart Roberts (the one with the man and the skeleton), Edward Low (red skeleton). I think I saw Thomas Tew (arm holding a cutlass), Richard Worley (different variation of skull and crossbones), plus the hourglass and wing elements. Yeah, can you tell I fucking love that scene?

--For some reason, Gibbs' addition of "The oars are in the boat" makes me really happy. Also, I fully intend to write a slight AU in which Elizabeth hangs out on the Dutchman for a bit until Will really, truly has to start ferrying souls (for reals this time) and then they have their one day on land. Because, why the hell not? Also, does anybody remember what time of day it's supposed to be when Elizabeth and Will step foot on the island? At first I thought they were there from dawn to sunset and I was annoyed because that is NOT twenty-four hours and thus not a day. But now I'm thinking that it was probably late afternoon when she left the Pearl and they then had until the next sunset. But I didn't pay attention to the position of the sun to make certain.

...I think that's about it. For now.