Abstrakt: |
The article discusses depictions of pirates and piracy in mid-20th-century U.S. motion pictures, and how they may have reflected aspects of American culture, values, and position in world affairs. Three films are discussed in particular: "Captain Blood" (1935), "The Sea Hawk" (1940), and "The Crimson Pirate" (1952). Variant themes on the relationship between piracy and the state are discussed, including: piracy as a kind of democratic collective rebelling against a corrupt government; piracy as a tool of the state in the form of privateering; and piracy as a form of permanent revolt against the existing world order. |