Pirates of the Caribbean and Dr. No: Tropicality and Piracy By Lillian Ball

Tropicality Place imagery: Dr. No and Pirates portray typical representations of island paradise and its exoticism  promoting tourism with beautiful imagery while masking exploitation. Barbosa's monkey, Bond’s terrifying tarantula, sharks and fish in waters, Dr. No’s fish tank…

Connection between Tourists and Pirates? Both: Exploit the land/consume resources Partake in romance and sex tourism Expect to be given what they want  sense of entitlement In both films, we (as the audience) are expected to root for the Pirate (Jack Sparrow) and the British Spy (Bond). Jack Sparrow and James Bond are referred to as “Captain”  will do anything for their own personal gain Bond not altered by Quarrel’s death- only Honey’s safety in mind (natives are expendable)

Freedom of Pirates and Tourists “’[Pirates] were free; every man was his own man.’” - Anita M. Waters quoting pirate dresser, p. 17 Pirates and tourists have mobility and individuality. Pirates did not produce any commodities for themselves or others: they simply took from others. (Kuhn,40) Although Bond as a spy came with a mission, he experienced Jamaica as a tourist: Walking along beach, waterfall imagery, canoe rides, romances girls on the island, experiences nightlife at club, and enjoys fine dining. Also, he receives information from locals  Quarrel and navigation, etc.

Sex Tourism “The opportunity for sex.” Pirates of the Caribbean Tortuga: nightlife, drinking, and over sexualized and exposed women there for male consumption. (travelling port  tourists) Dr. No Honey and the other women Bond seduces on the island. Beach scene: Bond is practically preying on exposed female, Honey.

Natives Represented The hardest working people are the locals. In Pirates, local men carry huge barrels at the docks, shirtless (also on the pirate ship): literally showing how vulnerable and visually consumed they are by the “tourists” and the audience. Anamaria’s character: piracy disregards issues of race, class, and gender.

In Dr. No, the natives are also hardworking and available to aid Bond in whatever he needs. Quarrel’s role Bartenders, waiters, fishermen, construction worker: always busy in the background. Both films take place in the Caribbean, however, the main characters are Caucasian while the natives only serve small roles to help the main narrative of the protagonist. This makes their lives look trivial and irrelevant even though the island is their rightful space. Promoting the idea that Natives of the island are there to serve.

Danger in the Caribbean Both films evoke a sense of danger and excitement on the islands  music and narrative. Promote a sense of adventure which attracts more tourists  escapist mindset of future visitors. Negative view of the island for natives: lifestyle unsuitable for everyday life  natives lack complexity/reality.

Conclusion Pirates of the Caribbean and Dr. No similarly depict negative usages of the Caribbean islands through tourism and piracy.

Works Cited Kuhn, Gabriel. Life Under the Jolly Roger: Reflections on Golden Age Piracy. PM Press, Print. Verbinski, Gore, dir. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Walt Disney Pictures Film. Waters, Anita. “Pirates of the Caribbean: What Version should we be listening to?” Anthropology News. October, 2006, pages Young, Terence, dir. Dr. No. Eon Productions Film.