A swordsmith and a friendly pirate chase a pirate ship to rescue a pretty girl and get more than they bargained for when they learn the pirates are cursed.

I’m breaking down movies by their three-act structure. What is three-act structure? I explain it here.

Note: I break the story down into five-minute blocks to make it easier to see the length of each section. Rough time codes follow.

Prolog

Young Will is rescued at sea. Young Elizabeth hides his gold coin. (A flashback to explain their current lives.) 5

Act 1

Elizabeth wakes up. Will delivers a fine new sword (introducing the heroes). 10

Jack Sparrow makes port at Port Royal (introducing a hero). 15

Elizabeth falls into the sea. Jack saves her from drowning. 20

Jack is defeated in a duel by Will and sentenced to hang (introducing a secondary conflict before the central conflict). 25

Barbossa’s Black Pearl attacks Port Royal (introducing the villains properly). 30

Elizabeth is captured for her gold coin (introducing the central conflict). Port Royal is sacked– by undead pirates (motivating the heroes to act). 35

Act 2

Aboard the Black Pearl (the extraordinary world of piracy), Elizabeth offers her gold coin. Barbossa keeps her for her blood. 40

Will frees Jack in exchange for help rescuing Elizabeth (their move into the extraordinary world). 45

Will and Jack steal the Interceptor and have a falling out (plot twist 1). 50

This is odd and somewhat weak for the plot twist.

Jack and Will make port at Tortuga to find a crew. 55

Elizabeth learns about the pirates’ curse (a big plot twist but an extra one). 60

This is a bit of a curiosity, because it would world well as plot twist 1 but is much too late. Perhaps it was moved here in editing to maintain pacing once they saw how slow the stuff on board the Interceptor was.

Jack recruits a pirate crew and sets sail for Isla de Muerta (committing himself to the conflict). 65

On Isla de Muerta, watching Barbarossa’s ceremony and fearing betrayal, Will knocks Jack out again. 70

Elizabeth’s blood fails to lift the curse (a crisis!)…

Midpoint

…Will rescues her and leaves Jack. 75

Jack tries to barter information for the Black Pearl. 80

The Black Pearl catches the Interceptor; they turn and fight (plot twist 2). 85

The Black Pearl destroys the Interceptor. 90

Will negotiates the release of the others for his blood. But Barbarossa maroons Jack and Elizabeth on an island. 95

Elizabeth sets fire to the rum to signal Norrington’s Dauntless for rescue. 100

Elizabeth promises Norrington to marry him if he takes them to Isla de Muerta. Back on Isla de Muerta, the Barbossa prepares to use Will for the curse-lifting ceremony (a double defeat)…

Act 3

But Jack tries to convince the pirates to first take the Dauntless. Norrington double-crosses Jack and Elizabeth. 105

Barbossa has his undead crew attack the Dauntless. 110

Jack frees Will and fights Barbossa’s men. The pirates take the Dauntless. 115

Elizabeth frees Jack’s crew, but they steal the Pearl. Will cleverly lifts the curse (the secret key) as Jack shoots Barbossa (the climax), and Barbossa dies. 120

This is a fun and clever bit, using Barbossa’s own need to lift the curse against them.

The pirates surrender (resolving the central conflict), but Jack is left behind by the Black Pearl crew. 125

Epilog

Back at Port Royal, Will declares his love for Elizabeth, and the two of them save Jack from hanging (resolving the secondary conflict). 130

Jack escapes to the Pearl. Will is released to marry Elizabeth. (This is a strangely flabby and talky ending for a rollicking adventure.) 135