Michael Bay’s acclaimed pirate drama, featuring a host of Hollywood and homegrown talent, debuts on local screens, writes Debashine Thangevelo
BLACK Sails has been one of the most-talked about TV shows; more so as it was made in a specially-built Hollywood-esque set in Cape Town.
That it was made under the auspices of the inimitable action filmmaker, Michael Bay (Bad Boy, Transformers, Pearl Harbour, The Island), was one of its many selling points. And there are many.
The moment of truth has arrived, now that it is about to hit the South African small screen. Does it live up to the hype?
That’s not an easy question to answer. That’s why, after watching the first episode, I have decided to reserve judgement until I’m a few episodes into the series before offering a verdict.
One of reasons for doing so is that pirate dramas don’t frequent our TV guide.
More often, we are exposed to pirates when they are used as a supporting story arc on TV shows – mostly of the fantasy ilk – à la Once Upon A Time (Colin O’Donoghue as Captain Killian “Hook” Jones) and Game of Thrones. Vikings embodies the pirate spirit, in its own way.
The most popular references when it comes to the subject matter would be Jerry Bruckheimer’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise with Johnny Depp as the inimitable Captain Jack Sparrow. Let’s not forget the plethora of Treasure Island movies that have been made over the years.
The point I’m getting at is that viewers have become conditioned by such fictionalised introductions to the world of pirates. And that’s why it will have a bearing on how Black Sails will be perceived – the dialogue doesn’t conform to the traditional understanding of what it should be.
What it does have, however, is that sense of swashbuckling adventure. And the appeal is heightened by the beautiful mix of local and international actors.
The drama opens with this declaration: “1715 West Indies. The Pirates of New Providence Island threaten maritime trade in the region. The laws of every civilised nation declare them… hostis humani generis. Enemies of all mankind. In response, the Pirates adhere to a doctrine of their own… war against the world.”
This statement sets the tone of what follows when Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) and his men expropriate a ship that contains highly valuable information in the Captain’s Log. However, the relevant page is stolen by the cook and ends up in the hands of an opportunistic John Silver.
undefinedWhile Flint tries to piece together the information contained on that page, Singleton (played by our own Anthony Bishop) spreads discord on the ship in an attempt to stage a mutiny and overthrow Flint.
The entire episode leads to the build-up of their mission: locating the Urca de Lima, which belongs to the Spaniards, and relieving them of their wealth.
However, there are other characters with their own agendas. And so the playground is prepped for conflict, war, trickery, power struggles and coups d’état.
Of course, the men aren’t the only ones having fun. The female characters get to throw their oars in, too.
And John Silver is a fascinating wild card.
Cinematically, the show is beautifully shot in high definition and the costumes are authentic.
As this is a series, and the storyline is more slow-brewed than fast-paced, I remain ambivalent. More so because some shows take time to grown on you.
And having realised my errors in being hasty with my opinions of the first seasons of True Detective and The Fixer, I’m going to wait and not say anything about Stephens inadequate performance, Hakeem Kae-Kazim’s ridiculous wig and the second-rate fight scenes.
Until then, let’s soak up the high sea adventure of the drama, sex and sword-fighting scenes while deception is at play.
It’s a pirate tale and we can take pride in the fact that we have South African actors Sean Cameron Michael, Louise Barnes and Richard Lukunku on the casting credits. Besides, it’s been given the green-light for four seasons… Black Sails must be doing something right.
• Black Sails debuts on the History Channel (DStv channel 186) tonight at 9.20pm.
FACT VS FICTION
Buried Treasure: Pirates didn’t bury treasure. Instead, their plunder was kept on board the ship, before being divided up among the crew. The notion of buried treasure comes from Treasure Island where it was a useful plot device. Black Sails is based 20 years before the events of Stevenson’s classic novel. So, too, was a pirate treasure map, where “X” marked the spot. The only pirate known to bury anything was Captain Kidd, but that was outside New York, to prevent his plunder being seized by the city’s governor.
Pirate Speak: Today, we all expect pirates to talk in a rich West Country accent. September 19 is even International Talk like a Pirate Day, when people are encouraged to say “Avast, me hearties”, or “Arrrr, matey”. In fact, real pirates talked in whatever normal accent they had. Some came from London, some from Bristol, some were Scottish, some French – there was no recognisable pirate tongue. What we hear as “pirate speak” stems from Dorset-born actor Robert Newton, who played Long John Silver in Disney’s Treasure Island (1950).
Eyepatches and Peg Legs: Anyone dressing up as a pirate today would probably consider putting on an eyepatch, or pretend to have a peg leg or a hook for a hand. Again, this “look” has its roots in fiction: Long John Silver had a wooden leg in Treasure Island, while Captain Hook had a hook for a hand in Peter Pan. This, though, at least had some basis in fact, as sailors could lose eyes or limbs in battle, or in a shipboard accident. While a pirate with a peg leg could not climb the rigging, he could at least act as the ship’s cook, hence the one-legged cook Randall in Black Sails (played by Lawrence Joffe).
Walking the Plank: Pirates never made their victims walk the plank. That was the invention of JM Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan (1904). Real pirates of the Black Sails era wouldn’t bother. It was easier to stab or shoot a victim and throw him overboard.
Hoist the Jolly Roger: One aspect of pirate life that hasn’t altered over the centuries is the use of the pirate flag – the “Jolly Roger”. The term comes from the French jolie rouge, a reference to the red flag used by privateers in the 17th century. This developed into the black flag we know today, decorated with motifs designed to intimidate potential victims. Skeletons, skulls and weapons all served as a warning of what might happen if a victim refused to surrender.