Pirates (1986 film)
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| Pirates | |
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| Directed by | Roman Polanski |
| Produced by | Tarak Ben Ammar |
| Written by | Gérard Brach John Brownjohn Roman Polanski |
| Starring | Walter Matthau Cris Campion Damien Thomas |
| Music by | Philippe Sarde |
| Cinematography | Witold Sobocinski |
| Editing by | Hervé de Luze |
| Distributed by | AMLF Cannon Releasing |
| Release date(s) | Jul 18, 1986 (USA) |
| Running time | 124 min. (USA) |
| Country | France / Tunisia |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Pirates is an adventure/comedy film written by Gérard Brach, John Brownjohn, and Roman Polanski. It was directed by Roman Polański and released in 1986.
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[edit] Production
Riding on the success of the highly acclaimed Chinatown, Roman Polański began to write a screenplay for a swashbuckling adventure film called Pirates. Originally, Polański intended for Jack Nicholson to play Captain Red, a grizzled old pirate, but complications arose partially due to the enormous fees Nicholson was demanding (according to Polański, when Nicholson was asked what exactly he wanted, he replied, "I want more.") Following this, the production was delayed for a number of years when Polański was arrested for statutory rape, which caused him to flee the country to avoid sentencing. Production restarted in 1986 in Europe, this time with a different production company. The role of Captain Red went to Walter Matthau.
The film's original estimated budget while Polański was aligned with Paramount on the picture, was $15 million, but the final budget is estimated to have cost US$40 million. The reported gross box office revenues in the United States was $1.65 million. Despite the film's financial failures, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
[edit] Plot summary
The film begins with Captain Red (Walter Matthau) stranded aboard a raft at sea with his first mate, Frog (Cris Campion), both of whom are presumably close to death from dehydration. They are picked up by a Spanish Galleon and are forced into slavery before instigating a shipwide mutiny with the other prisoners and taking control of the vessel. Frog falls in love with the female love interest, María-Dolores de la Jenya de la Calde (Charlotte Lewis), the niece of the governor of a Spanish colony. Red covets the golden throne that the Spanish have taken from an Aztec king. Lots of explosions and gunfights occur as the duo attempt to win over the gold and the girl throughout the remainder of the film. The film ends with Captain Red and Frog again stranded on a raft, Red sitting on the golden throne.
[edit] References
- Roman by Roman Polański
[edit] External links
- Pirates at the Internet Movie Database
- Pirates at All Movie Guide
- Neptune - photo of the galleon built for the film Pirates, now in Genoa.
| Films directed by Roman Polanski |
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| Rower • Uśmiech zębiczny • Rozbijemy zabawę • Morderstwo • Dwaj ludzie z szafą • Lampa • Gdy spadają anioly (When Angels Fall) • Le Gros et le maigre • Ssaki • Nóż w wodzie • Les Plus belles escroqueries du monde • Repulsion • Cul-de-Sac • The Fearless Vampire Killers • Rosemary's Baby • Macbeth • What? • Chinatown • The Tenant • Tess • Pirates • Frantic • Bitter Moon • Death and the Maiden • The Ninth Gate • The Pianist • Oliver Twist • To each his cinema • Pompeii |
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