In the golden era of Hollywood, Americans were fascinated by various adventure films about the adventures of archaeologists and adventurers, the voyages of sailors and pirates and simply historical films in which the era of the conquest of the New World was played out. For example, they were particularly interested in the colonial era of England, especially when it fought Spain for the right of possession of territories in the Caribbean. These historical episodes formed the basis of the adventure film “Black Swan”.
Synopsis of the seventeenth century. King Charles II of England pardons former pirate Henry Morgan and even appoints him as the new governor of Jamaica, but gives him an important task: immediately suppress all pirates in the Caribbean so that they can not break the long-awaited truce with Spain. Not without difficulty, but Morgan manages to fulfill part of the promise, but there are those who refuse to obey not only Morgan, but the King of England himself, among whom is the cruel Captain Billy Leach. To suppress Lich Morgan entrusts a young and brave pirate Jamie Waring, who is forced torn between duty to his Morgan, the desire to remain a free pirate and love for the local beauty Lady Margaret Denby.
It is worth noting that “Black Swan” is a classic old-fashioned movie, the actors of the era of which did not particularly bother with the images of their heroes when it came to stamped packs of genres, like the same adventure novels. So, Tyrone Power, who played the role of Jamie Waring, embodied the image of a daring and self-confident pirate, which combines ardent character, hot temperament and at the same time genuine courage and the ability to stand up for themselves and for dear people. Star Maureen O’Hara in the role of Margaret Denby, embodied the image of a stiff English aristocrat, despite the appearance of a gentle lady able to fight back any offender. The rest of the actors can only say that in general they played decently, but without much delight.
In general, the filmography of Henry King includes films of completely different plans, many of which in their own way had historical themes or at least touched on the most significant events in history. In the case of the Black Swan, we see an era of rivalry between the two colonial powers of England and Spain for ownership of territories in the Caribbean. True, these events serve only as a background, because the stories of love and brotherhood come to the fore, where honor, dignity and the desire to remain a free person are mixed. The problem with the film is that it is morally outdated, and its ideas may look beautiful, but hardly correlate with modernity. But despite this, it should be noted “Black Swan” as an adventure picture. Very strong impressions are made by scenes of sea battles and sword fights, where the heroes fight with maximum cruelty and return and even without ostentatious pathos.
The plot takes place in the XVII century in colonial Jamaica. Young pirate Jamie Waring is captured by the British, but soon the pirates capture the island, and Jamie goes free. However, happiness does not last long. King Charles II of England pardons former pirate Henry Morgan and appoints him the new governor of Jamaica, but gives orders to pacify his pirates. Morgan is respected among his own, so with most, including Jamie copes quickly. But there are those who are not ready to submit to the new order. Among the latter is the brutal pirate Billy Leach, who on his ship “Black Swan” continues to attack cities and ships. Morgan instructs Jamie to find and pacify Leach, but it is not so easy, because Leach, if necessary, is ready to declare war on the king himself. In addition, Jamie complicates his task by kidnapping the daughter of former governor Lady Margaret Debney, which incurs the wrath of the king and Morgan himself. The hero finds himself between a hammer and an anvil. On the one hand, he has to get into the trust of Leach, on the other, to prove to Morgan that he is still faithful to him, and also to preserve the favor of a young beauty who, by no means, feels the slightest sympathy for her annoying cavalier.
Overall, Black Swan is not a bad movie. It’s interesting to watch the actors play their roles. It’s just that either I’m already too demanding a viewer, or the film really lacks the zest, perhaps some drama that left a bright mark on the film. You're the judge.