National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Walt Disney Pictures released Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in July 2003, adapting a theme park attraction into a full-scale adventure film that surprised both critics and audiences. Directed by Gore Verbinski, the film launched one of the decade's most successful franchises and earned Johnny Depp an Academy Award nomination for his lead performance.

This three-frame 35mm cell, titled Captain Jack Sparrow, captures Johnny Depp's iconic character in close-up against a sweeping golden cloudy sky, his hair caught in motion as he gazes downward toward the camera. The sequential frames suggest a continuous moment, offering a rare and intimate look at one of cinema's most recognizable figures frozen in a single dramatic instant.