When i was a kid in LA, the "Z" channel would always show this movie and i have become attached to it. The first scene alone draws you:This is England-ruled Jamaica in the 1700's. A British regiment detail is marching a chained, haggard, bearded black prisoner to the gallows(Jones). Once there, the noose is applied and the sentencing read by an eager ,anxious Luitenent as portrayed by Beau Bridges. The moment has now come...when, off in the distance, we see a Spanish galleon on the harbor. Suddenly It's guns boom and immediately the gallows explode and some Brits scatter.The onlookers cry out in chaos and joy. They hate the Brits too. The prisoner begins to smile and then laugh as he realizes the ship's not there to kill everyone on the cliff, it's there to rescue him. It seems an impossible feat to rescue a doomed man from the gallows using a spanish warship a hundred yards away, but it happens. This is one of the best opening scenes of all time in a film, and you're hooked and loving it. The Island is being ruled by a very corrupt Lord Durant -Peter Boyle (doing a very good Captain Blye)All who oppose British rule are folk heroes and the Pirate "Red" Ned Lynch(Shaw) and his men are the best you'll find. After rescuing their comerade they are hired by the fiery daughter(Bujold) of an ousted British official who made the mistake of challenging Durant's policies and was summarily jailed. The adventure that follows puts you in the middle of a real life "Pirates of the Carribean" really. this is a very, very underated and undiscussed film that if you see it, you probably will never forget.
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The review of this Movie prepared by Mac Grurry
