THE FILM: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
THE PAIRING: Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley)
THE MOMENT: Will and Elizabeth Reunite… Ten years later.
BEWARE! Major Spoilers Below
Good, “old-fashioned” swashbucklers are a thing of the past. Gone are the days of Captain Blood and in its place, moviegoers are thrilled with sci-fi superheroes. Or this was true until the entertainment giant released the unexpected hit of the summer (way back in 2003!) called Pirates of the Caribbean. Since the original film, five sequels have been released, introducing a romantic pairing that viewers swooned over. Today we look back at the romance of Will and Elizabeth.
That couple is Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. A kind of star-crossed lovers, Will and Elizabeth encountered a few fair winds and many a squall in their relationship. Will valiantly rescued his lady love (despite his restraint in declaring his affections), and later, she stood by his side when he was imprisoned. Eventually, the pair marries in a wind-driven and passionate ceremony.
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Despite the ups and downs, it’s a ship fans loved and rooted for. Ten years after their bittersweet parting, filmmakers reunite them. But to see how they reach this reunion, first we have to take a look back at that parting…
THE LEAD IN: Will and Elizabeth
Following their unexpected and passionate wedding ceremony, the newlyweds spend their wedding night on the beach. Doomed to spend their lives apart, the couple takes delight in a chance to enjoy the fleeting hours together before years of separation rule their everyday.
In the glow of evening, the two share a moment of brevity ,and they playfully flirt. For a moment, the two forget about where they are… about what’s to come as they revel in the bliss that is their love story. Then, a dark look crosses Will’s face as he glances to the horizon.
“It’s nearly sunset,” he observes.
Elizabeth, too, glances up, and reality sets in.
Together, they walk down the beach where Will finds his watery prison: the Flying Dutchman. Picking up his coat reveals a small chest hidden beneath it.
“It’s always belonged to you,” he says, referring to the object that rests inside: his heart. Turning to face his wife, he asks, “Will you keep it safe?”
Fighting back emotions, Elizabeth nods. “Yes,” she says. And walking towards him to take the chest, she says again, “Yes,” with a stronger voice.
Leaning together, their foreheads meet, and for a moment in time, they say nothing. The weight of this parting hits both.
Knowing the longer he remains, the more difficult this parting will be, Will pulls away. Feeling the acute loss of his presence, devastation crosses Elizabeth’s face. Opening her eyes, she sees her husband leaving. Panicked, she sets down the chest.
Calling out his name, she rushes to him. As the waves crash, the two come together for one last, lingering kiss.
With a small smile on his face and a cheeky look, he tells her to “Keep a weather eye on the horizon.” A promise they’ll someday meet again.
Before she can respond… Will is gone.
Ten years pass before she sees him again… and another ten years again pass. All the time in which their young son, Henry, grows to adulthood, he is determined to find a way to break the curse holding his father to the Flying Dutchman. In time, he accomplishes this.
THE ROMANTIC MOMENT: Will and Elizabeth
Waiting for his father, Henry stands on the cliff where the camera soon catches Will as he walks onto the scene. Father and son exchange hugs and greetings. Togethe,r they walk further inland as Will tells his son he wants to hear the story of how Henry broke the curse.
As they crest the hill, Will glances off into the distance. What he sees causes him to stop in his tracks.
Appearing just above the ridge is the keeper of his heart, Elizabeth.
Wearing an expression of relief, longing, and love, Elizabeth fixes her gaze on Will, and there it remains.
Momentarily, the two are transfixed as they remain motionless, staring across the vast expanse. Picking up her skirts, she runs towards her husband. Will does the same as the two cover the distance in rapid time.
Ten years of pain, separation, and heartbreak collide when they come face-to-face. Hesitating only a heartbeat, their arms fill with the other as they crash into one another’s arms.
Holding one another tighter, they wrap their arms around each other tightly. There they remain standing close in a suspended moment of time in the windswept grass. Fearing that if they were to let go, even for a moment, they might again be parted. For the first time in these many years, their hearts feel whole… smiles light up their faces as they cling to one another.
They pull apart only to share a tender look, and come together again… this time for a long-awaited kiss.
For many fans, this moment has been years overdue. Although it’s simple, the emotion conveys what words cannot. Just seeing these lovers in the same frame again makes it perfect, not to mention endearing the moment to those of us who’ve shipped these two from that first “staircase” moment…
Tell me, have you seen all of the Pirates of the Caribbean films? Do you have a favorite or do you have a favorite moment between Will and Elizabeth? Tell me all of your thoughts down below! I’d love to chat with you.
Photos: Disney
Just discovered they are in the 5th movie. I didn’t like the 4th cause they weren’t there but made my heart happy to see them finally reunited, one of my oldest and dearest ships. It was well done and didn’t realize how much I needed to see it!