Pirates of the Caribbean Production Notes - The Pirate Look: Costumes, Makeup and Hair

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Chapter 10: The Pirate Look: Costumes, Makeup and Hair

Gore Verbinski knew exactly what he wanted his Pirates of the Caribbean to look-and smell-like. “I didn't want these pirates to look similar to what we've all seen before,” Verbinski explains. “No hooks for hands or eye patches everywhere. I didn't want to see trick-or-treat belts or striped shirts. In reading about that period, it's clear that people didn't live very long; they were essentially rotting away. Ships leaked, there was nothing in the way of medical attention, and not a lot of personal hygiene. Things were pretty disgusting. Strange as it may seem, it was fun finding that disgusting quality and texture as we began casting extras and creating the looks of all the pirates. Some of the extras were so dedicated, you could smell it,” he laughs.

“It's ultimately about the teeth,” the director continues. “If you get the teeth right, you're okay.”

On his own, Johnny Depp had his dentist cap four teeth: one in 14 karat gold, one in 18 karat gold, another in 22 karat gold, and the last in platinum. “It's mathematics. He's a pirate. You expect it. I wanted more, but Jerry wasn't particularly enthused,” he laughs.

Costume designer Penny Rose went to portrait galleries, maritime museums and other resources to learn about costumes from the period. “I spent three weeks just absorbing the ideas,” she explains. She also consulted with British pirate expert David Cordingly, author of such books as Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates.

“David came in and spent the day with us, and we just fired questions at him like, `Port Royal, Jamaica-who would have lived there?' Well, out of his wallet comes a list of how many blacksmiths, how many this, how many that-he had already done this material over and over again! He had also worked on several films, so he understood that we weren't going for historic reproduction. It's the little nuances that he was really helpful with.”

Rose wanted lots of movement in the costumes, since there is so much action in the movie. Some of the film's signature costume pieces included full shirts with very big sleeves, which echoed the Errol Flynn look. In addition, “The coats all had six or eight pleats in the back, so they had plenty of movement, but they actually fit,” Rose explains. Rose was also concerned about the Caribbean heat during filming, so “everything was made out of silk or linen or cotton so nobody had anything scratchy or heavy on. And they move. You see them during film fighting, and they've got a lot of movement.”

The crew went to great lengths to maintain authenticity from head to toe-Jack Sparrow's sword is an original that dates from the 1750s. Many of the swords used in the film are originals, purchased in London.

For Johnny Depp, his character came together in every respect during the costume fittings and makeup/hair tests that traditionally take place a few weeks prior to filming on every movie. “The first day I was in full makeup and wardrobe, seeing the guy for the first time, I was very pleased because I knew it was Captain Jack,” he says. “Gore came in, looked and said, `Yeah, that's it.' He got it immediately; he knew where I was going with the character. He supported it, he understood it and he got the humor. It was the beginning of a great relationship.”

Jack Davenport, in the self-described “ice cream” costume, admits, “my costume did do a lot of the work for me. It's a cheap laugh, especially when you play an authority figure who constantly loses authority.”

Will Turner, as the blacksmith, has a simpler, cleaner look, although his overall appearance transforms by the end of the film. “Will has an identity crisis,” explains Verbinski. “When he encounters Jack Sparrow, he turns from this lovable, earnest dork into a romantic leading man. His hair comes down, his body language changes, all due to his interaction with Jack and the effect they have on each other.”

Elizabeth Swann not only makes an emotional transition throughout the course of the film, she also makes the most dramatic physical change. “I've got the best of both worlds,” says Keira Knightley. “I get to look every bit the prim and proper young lady in beautiful dresses, albeit tied up in a corset; then I get to wear a sexier, looser gown that's been hand-selected by Barbossa; and by the end I'm barely in a shift, wet and freezing; and then I had the opportunity to wear a soldier's uniform. My costumes ran the gamut. Poor boys, they wore the same outfit every day for six months,” she laughs.

Nearly 400 London-made wigs and hairpieces were used in the film. Orlando Bloom was the only major actor who didn't wear a wig, but he wasn't entirely spared-he was given hair extensions that took between 5 and 6 hours to attach.

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