The 7 Best Pirate Movies in Cinema History

The pirate theme has always been common in literature and, of course, in cinema. The idealization of these sea raiders, which tradition has turned into a kind of heroes, combined with wonderful settings (most of the time, set on the paradisiacal beaches of the Caribbean) are perfect ingredients for a great adventure story.

Cinema focused on this type of stories from its beginnings; sometimes, inspired by the multitude of novels that exist on the subject (Sandokan, The Black Corsair, Treasure Island…), and other times, coming up with new and exciting adventures. Today we bring you a list of the best movies about pirates, from classic cinema to today.

The 7 best pirate movies in cinema history

From the athletic Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939) of the silent film era to the cinematic myth of Johnny Deep (along with his star role, Captain Jack Sparrow), passing through the charismatic Errol Flynn (1909-1959), a true hero of the adventure films of the golden age of cinema. All of them have starred in unforgettable pirate films that, in today’s article, we bring up.

As the translation of the title may vary depending on the country, we put the title in Spanish from Spain in parentheses and, to facilitate the search for readers, the original title of the film first. We hope you enjoy the list. On boarding…!

1. The Black Pirate (1926)

There is no doubt that Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939) was one of the best actors of American silent cinema, especially when it came to adventure films. The production of this film, which was also carried out at his own expense, introduced a primitive two-tone Technicolor that was a true revolution at the time.

The plot revolves around a young man (Fairbanks) who loses his father in a pirate attack on the ship they are sailing on. After burying his father’s body on an island and swearing revenge, the protagonist poses as a pirate and joins the group of looters he has sworn to take revenge on. Despite his first intention, he eventually becomes the leader of them all, under the name Black Pirate.

This is one of the few examples of pirate cinema without dialogue, since the film was filmed before the arrival of talkies. However, this is not an obstacle to entertainment: the impeccable photography, the magnificent acting of Fairbanks (as usual for him) and the wonderful music of Mortimer Wilson (1876-1932) make the film a true icon of the genre.

2. Treasure Island (1934)

The novel by Robert L. Stevenson (1850-1894) has gone down in history as the great and indisputably classic pirate story. The writer composed it inspired by the son of his wife, Lloyd Osbourne, who had challenged him to write a novel. Thus, the young protagonist of the story, the teenager Jim Hawkins, becomes the boy’s alter ego. Needless to say, little Lloyd was very happy with the result.

The version that Victor Fleming (1889-1949) made in 1934 is one of the best adaptations of Stevenson’s novel, although, unfortunately, it was a disaster at the box office. The story, very faithful to the Scottish writer’s original, revolves around a boy, Jim, who accidentally learns of the existence of a treasure on a distant and unknown island. His journey to find it will be hindered by the pirate Long John Silver, who also covets the prize.

3. Captain Blood (Captain Blood, 1935)

This pirate classic, directed by Michael Curtiz (1886-1962), was nominated for no less than 5 Oscars from the 1935 Academy, including best film and direction. Unfortunately, it did not achieve any of them, but its excellent production, its elaborate script (based on the novel of the same name by Rafael Sabatini) and the magnificent interpretation of two monsters of classic Hollywood cinema (the Flynn-De Havilland duo) make it undoubtedly one of the best examples of adventure cinema.

Peter Blood is a doctor from 17th century England who lives outside the struggles of Parliament and the king. However, a false accusation makes him a prisoner accused of treason and he is sent as a slave to America. Peter Blood returns as a fearless pirate thirsting for revenge, known as Captain Blood.

4. Reap the Wild Wind (Pirates of the Caribbean Sea, 1942)

The 1940s and 1950s were, without a doubt, the great era of adventure cinema. Among the gems made in these years is the magnificent Reap the Wild Wind (known in Spain with the disparate title Pirates of the Caribbean Sea), a fast-paced pirate story starring the always charismatic Paulette Goddard (1910-1990) and the serious and taciturn John Wayne (1907-1979). The director of the film is also one of the greats: none other than Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959), who brought unforgettable films such as The Ten Commandments (1953) or Twilight of the Gods (1950) to the big screen.

Epic is guaranteed with this classic pirate film. The story is set in 1840, in the Florida Keys, where a miserable pirate, King Cutler, raids merchant ships to steal their cargo. Loxi, a brave girl who is at the head of a marine rescue company, manages to rescue Captain Jack from the disaster, with which she inevitably falls in love. A love triangle is then established between the two and Steve, a man of law willing to clean the Florida seas of pirates.

5. The Crimson Pirate (1952)

No pirate movie lover can miss this true masterpiece of the genre. Starring actors (and acrobats) Burt Lancaster (1913-1994) and Nick Cravat (1912-1994), who had already collaborated in The Falcon and the Arrow (another essential adventure film), The Crimson Pirate perfectly combines action , humor, adventure and an impeccable script in just over an hour and a half.

Vallo is a pirate who, first for money and later for love, is involved in the rescue plan of El Libre, a revolutionary persecuted by the law who seeks better living conditions for his people. In love with her daughter, the beautiful Consuelo, he puts all his efforts into rescuing her from the clutches of the evil Baron Gruda, who intends to marry her to the old governor of the island of Cobra and who, furthermore, has been responsible for the death of his father. Burt Lancaster is superb in his role as Vallo, possibly one of his best comedy roles.

6. Cutthroat Island (1995)

This underrated pirate film (it was a box office failure) deserves to be on this list, not least because of what it meant in the recovery of the genre, which in the 90s of the 20th century had almost been lost. The film is not, however, as disastrous as the sales and critics, who raved about it, reflected. It is a more than correct adventure film, with a classic plot (the pirate who wants to find a treasure on a remote island) and that, broadly speaking, fulfills its function.

In this case, the protagonist is a woman, the pirate Morgan Adams (played by Geena Davis), who sets out to look for the fragments of a treasure map. Of course, and as she could not be otherwise, she encounters some (many) obstacles along the way; among them, the mutiny of her crew.

7. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, 2003)

And if Severed Head Island tried to revitalize the genre in the 90s (without much success), The first part of Gore Verbinski’s saga did the same at the beginning of the new millennium: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl became a box office bomb and got new generations interested in pirate stories again.

The film contains numerous nods to the classics, such as the famous “the dead tell no tales”, a phrase that already appears in the great inaugurator of the genre, the aforementioned The Black Pirate (1926). Without a doubt, the special effects deserve a separate mention, but this is not the typical action film without a consistent plot that relies only on computer technology.

No, the film goes further; The story is entertaining and perfectly mixes reality, adventure and fantasy, not to mention that it introduces for the first time in the cinema a character who would later become a myth: Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Deep), who must fight the pirate Barbossa and his ghost crew.