Davy Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean character)

Template:Pirates of the Caribbean character Davy Jones is a fictional character from the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, loosely based on the old seaman's legend of Davy Jones' Locker. He serves as a major antagonist in both Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, the second film of the franchise, and in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, the third. Jones is portrayed by British actor Bill Nighy through motion capture and voice acting.

In the films, Davy Jones is the captain of the Flying Dutchman (based on the feared ghost ship of the same name featured in nautical lore), and roams the seas in search of souls to serve upon his vessel for a century. He was previously the lover of Calypso, a "heathen goddess" from which a bad relationship turned him antagonistic. Jones is the legend behind the fictitious Dead Man's Chest, a major aspect of the second film.

The computer-generated imagery used to complete Jones was highly praised, with Entertainment Weekly naming him as the second most convincing computer generated film character in film history, only behind King Kong from the 2005 film adaptation. The work on Davy Jones by Industrial Light and Magic earned them the 2006 Academy Award for Visual Effects for Dead Man's Chest.

Conception and creation

Historical influence

The legend of Davy Jones' Locker is hundreds of years old and originally not connected to the legend of the Flying Dutchman.

The character's act of removing and concealing his heart draws on a well-established theme in which the villain is rendered immortal by sacrificing its humanity. Examples of this range from ancient mythology (particularly the Legend of Koschei) to modern concepts of the undead and demons. Similarly to the ghost pirate LeChuck in the classic computer game The Secret of Monkey Island, Davy Jones is a villainous, undead captain whose immortality is a curse resulting from his broken heart. Davy Jones was depicted by sailors in all of maritime history as the devil of the sea. Several books have described a man that resembles a creature of the sea.

Davy Jones' pipe organ may be a reference to the fictional Captain Nemo, the main character of Jules Verne's famous novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, who had a pipe organ aboard his submarine Nautilus. The character of Davy Jones playing his pipe organ is reminiscent of 'haunted villain' characters, who often play the organ as an outlet of their anguish, such as Erik, the Phantom of the Opera. Davy Jones possesses a musical locket, which is one of a pair (the other belongs to Calypso). This is similar to El Indio, the villain of Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More, who possessed one of a pair of musical pocket-watches, and also seems to be tormented by the object's connection with a lost love. One scene in At World's End that is similar to For a Few Dollars More is when Calypso is playing her locket; when the tune on hers ends, it is picked up by Davy Jones', who appears in the next scene. This references the climactic fight at the end of the Western. Gore Verbinski has admitted the influence of Leone's work. In addition, during the parlay just before the climactic battle in At World's End, the theme music that accompanies the scene is nearly identical to the music from the climactic confrontation at the end of Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West.

Jones's relationship to the sea goddess Calypso, as well as his (abandoned) charge of ferrying the souls of those who die at sea link him to Greek and Roman mythology, specifically Charon, the boatman of Hades.

Film production

From real to reality: Davy Jones is brought to life.

See also: Industrial Light & Magic, Motion capture, Computer-generated imagery, and photorealism

Before officially casting Bill Nighy producers also met with Jim Broadbent, Iain Glen and Richard E. Grant for the role.

Like the entire crew of the Flying Dutchman (except "Bootstrap Bill"), Davy Jones is completely 3-D Computer-generated. His performance was recorded using motion capture during actual filming on the set, with Nighy wearing several markers in both a grey suit and his face, rather than in a studio during post-production. Nighy also wore make-up around the eyes, since the original plan was to use his real eyes in the digital character. Briefly during the third film, Jones appears as a human for a single scene, played by Nighy in costume. Several reviewers have in fact mistakenly identified Nighy as wearing prosthetic makeup due to the computer-generated character's photorealism.

Design and appearance

Davy Jones' physique was designed by the films' producers to be a mixture of various aquatic flora and fauna features. Jones' most striking feature is his cephalopod-like head, primarily a "beard" composed of octopus-like tentacles similar to the head of Cthulhu. Throughout the films, Jones uses the octopus-like arms of his "beard" to manipulate objects, such as the Dead Man's Chest key (he shows this during a game of Liar's Dice), his hat (when his ship submerges), and the keys of his vast pipe organ. A prominent sac bulges from under his barnacle-encrusted tricorne. The face's color was inspired by a coffee-stained styrofoam cup which was then scanned into ILM's computers to be used as the skin. Possibly because his nose no longer seems to exist, he breathes through a siphon located on the left side of his face. The character of Davy Jones has also a crustacean-style claw for his left arm, a long tentacle in place of the index finger on his right hand, and the right leg of a crab (resembling a pegleg). He also speaks with a clearly distinguishable Scottish accent. Originally, director Gore Verbinski wanted Jones to be Dutch, as he is the captain of the "Dutch-man". Nighy however responded, "...I don't do Dutch [accent]. So I decided on Scottish".

In At World's End, Jones briefly appears as his original, human self during his final personal encounter with Tia Dalma. His human appearance reflects that of his disfigured, mutated appearance, having a thick blonde beard consisting of several braided rows that mimic the various tentacles. It was revealed in this same scene that Jones' mutation was a curse he brought on himself by breaking his oath to ferry lost souls to World's End.

Fictional character biography

Background

See also: Tia Dalma, Brethren Court, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Davy Jones was born in Scotland; nothing is known about his youth. He fell in love with Calypso, the "heathen god[dess]" of the sea who gave him the charge of ferrying souls who died at sea to the "other side". Calypso gave Davy Jones the Flying Dutchman to accomplish this task. Her reason for this is unknown. She swore that after ten years she would meet him and they would spend one day together before he returned to his duties. He kept to his charge for ten years, knowing he would see his love again. Calypso however, after those ten years, failed to show up because of her capricious nature, which had drawn Jones to her in the first place. Enraged and heart-broken, Jones turned the Pirate Brethren against her, saying that if she was removed from the world, they would be able to claim the seas for themselves. They assembled in the First Brethren Court and Jones taught them how to imprison her into her human bonds (Tia Dalma); the Court agreed with him to imprison her forever.

Jones then proceeded to rip out his heart and place it in the "Dead Man's Chest". Containing a powerful lock, the Chest was sealed and placed within a larger wooden chest along with Jones' numerous love letters to Calypso. This was then buried on Isla Cruces, a plague island. Jones then departed, keeping his unique double-stemmed key to the Chest with him at all times. Since then, Jones has abandoned his post and sailed the seas, making deals and doing as he pleased. Though immortal, his disregard for his duty brought punishment, mutating him into a parody of humanity, and with him his ship and whomsoever served on it. The lore of the "feared Flying Dutchman" begins as Jones' eerie ship sailed about destroying ships to recruit for crew. With his supernatural power, he becomes ruler of the oceans' realm and comes to command the Kraken, a feared mythological sea monster.

In the book series about the earlier adventures of Jack Sparrow, Davy Jones shows interest in the Sword of Cortes, which Jack is seeking. He is a minor character, but finally appears in the cliff-hanger ending to book 7 when Jack and his crew encounter the Flying Dutchman.

After Cutler Beckett sunk Jack Sparrow's Wicked Wench, Davy Jones approaches Sparrow with a deal: Jones will raise the Wench back from Davy Jones' Locker, allowing Sparrow to be captain for 13 years if Sparrow agrees to serve on the Dutchman for 100 years. Sparrow agrees and the ship is raised, renamed by Sparrow as the Black Pearl.

Dead Man's Chest

Main article: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Main article: Liar's dice

The character of Captain Davy Jones is introduced in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006); the time now being 13 years later, he seeks to claim Sparrow's soul. It becomes clear that Jack Sparrow and Cutler Beckett are after the Dead Man's Chest and its key; one to buy time against Jones and the other to secure Jones' power over the seas (respectively). After several events (none including Jones), Sparrow and the Black Pearl arrive at what seems to be the Flying Dutchman, but is really a merchant ship destroyed by the Kraken. The real Dutchman rises from the sea and captures the men on board, including Will Turner, who was tricked there by Sparrow. Jones makes his first appearance as he approaches the fearful crew and asks, "Do you fear death?", his catchphrase. After one frightened sailor answers that he will serve, Jones responds mockingly, his crew then proceeding to laugh. He realises that Will is on the ship because of Jack and, after spotting Sparrow on the overlooking Pearl, he teleports to the ship. Jones confronts Sparrow about their expired deal, and refuses to accept Jack's excuse that he was only captain for two years until Barbossa's mutiny, stating that he was "a poor captain, but a captain nonetheless", and also reminds him of his constant self-introduction as "Captain Jack Sparrow". Jack strikes up a deal with Jones; Jack will be spared enslavement on the Dutchman if he brings Jones one hundred souls to replace his own within the next three days. Jones accepts, removes the black spot from Jack's hand, and retains Will, keeping him as a "good faith payment."

Jones and some of the Flying Dutchman crew after Will challenges him to Liar's Dice.

While on the Dutchman, Will challenges Jones at a game of liar's dice, the purpose of which was to find out where Jones hides the key to the Chest. The stakes for which they gambled were Will's soul for an eternity of service, against the key to the Dead Man's Chest. Although Will was saved by his losing father, Bootstrap Bill, Jones did give Will a glimpse of where he kept the key to the Chest. The next morning, Jones realizes the key is gone and summons the Kraken to destroy the ship carrying Turner, forcing Bootstrap Bill Turner to watch the scene; the Dutchman then sails to Isla Cruces to stop Sparrow from getting the Chest.

Arriving, Jones sent his crew to retrieve the Chest; they return to him with it. The Dutchman then goes after the Black Pearl, but is outrun and falls back. Jones summons the Kraken instead and it attacks the ship, finally pulling it down onto Davy Jones' Locker along with Jack Sparrow as Jones surveys. He afterwards opens the Chest only to find his heart missing, it having been taken by James Norrington.

At World's End

Main article: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

See also: Cutler Beckett

File:DavyJones400px.jpg

Jones during the final duel with Jack.

Bill Nighy returns as Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, now being under the control of Cutler Beckett for the use of the East India Trading Co. Beckett threatens to have his men shoot Jones' heart should he disobey, knowing that if the heart is destroyed, Jones will die. The Flying Dutchman is ordered to roam the seas in search of pirate ships to destroy, which it does without mercy, much to Beckett's annoyance who needs prisoners to interrogate. Mercer, a henchman of Beckett's, names the Dutchman "a loose cannon". To ensure Jones would obey, Beckett also ordered him to kill the Kraken in case he attempted to use it against him and the East India Trading Co. Lord Beckett afterwards orders Jones to seek and attack the Pirate Lord, Sao Feng; Jones subsequently kills Sao and captures Elizabeth Swann, who had been named captain by Sao Feng upon his death. When Admiral James Norrington dies on board the Dutchman freeing prisoners, Jones claims Norrington's sword (originally crafted by Will Turner) after he attempted to kill Jones. Jones then attempts mutiny and has his men kill the Company's marines on the Flying Dutchman. However, Mercer organizes a defense on the Chest which includes Mullroy and Murtogg aiming a cannon at it, forcing Jones to continue under Beckett's service. Beckett later summons Jones to his ship, the Endeavour, where Jones confronts Will Turner again and divulges the truth of his own story while learning of Jack Sparrow's escape from the Locker. The three men then plan to arrive at Shipwreck Cove.

Human Davy Jones.

Jones later confronts Calypso in her human shape of Tia Dalma, locked in the brig of the Black Pearl; here, the two former lovers engage in a poignant conversation wherein several crucial subplots between the two are revealed, such as the reasons for which Calypso did not meet him after Jones' first decade of service on the Flying Dutchman and the subsequent mutation of Davy Jones. Tia Dalma touches his chest, and Jones is briefly seen in his original human form (also portrayed by Bill Nighy), which bears striking similarities to his grotesque appearance, including a long and full beard with multiple braids parallel to his facial tentacles. Jones, despite his attempts to hate her, seems unable to truly do so and instead tells her that his heart will always be with her. Tia Dalma says that after her release, she will fully give her love to him and will help him fight the Brethren Court. However, Will Turner later reveals to her that Jones had revealed how to enslave her to the Brethren Court, enraging her and terminating her promise to help him.

After the parlay between Beckett, Turner, and Jones with Swann, Hector Barbossa, and Sparrow, the Flying Dutchman and the Black Pearl sail into battle as flagships for their sides. A monstrous maelstrom (caused by the now-free Calypso) forms between them and both enter it, engaging in an epic battle. During the battle Jones kills Mercer and retrieves the key to the Chest. After Mercer is dead, he fights Jack Sparrow for his Chest - an intense sword fight atop the mast of the Dutchman. In the end of the battle, Jack acquires both the Chest and the key while Jones battles Will and Elizabeth. Jones quickly overpowers Elizabeth, and is subsequently impaled through the back by Will before he can finish her off. Undaunted, Jones bends the tip of Will's sword so he cannot remove it and kicks him aside; realizing their relationship, he holds Will at sword-point, asking if he fears death. At that moment, Jack appears, having acquired the heart, and uses his ritual taunt against him in a desperate bid to save Will. Before Jack can make good on his threats and stab the heart, Jones thrusts and twists his sword deep into Will's chest, much to the horror of Jack and Elizabeth. Suddenly Will's father jumps upon Jones to fight him, but is quickly defeated. Moments later, Sparrow helps Turner put his hand on his broken sword and plunge it into Davy Jones' beating heart, mortally wounding him. Jones staggers backwards and looks up into the sky, in which a blast of lightning is visible. This implies that he now belongs to Calypso. The heart stops beating and Jones then dies, uttering Calypso's name, tumbling backwards off the ship, and falling into the still raging maelstrom.

Characterization

Personality

Davy Jones is a character written to be highly ruthless and sadistic particularly to his crew, believing that every human should suffer in the afterlife with much pain. This is shown by his proclamation of "Life is cruel. Why should the afterlife be any different?!". In addition, though he often demands good faith and payment from those he makes deals with, Jones is treacherous and cannot be counted on to do the same. Despite Jones' vicious nature, his character has appeared to be deeply influenced by situations involving love and passion, as a result of the ruined relationship he had with Calypso, the sea goddess, in the past. As revealed in At World's End, Jones' character fell madly in love with the goddess Calypso. His character's passionate nature is rarely shown to others, such as when he plays his theme on the pipe organ whilst shedding a single tear over Calypso and ultimately meeting her aboard the Black Pearl. Because of this, Jones is more of a tragic villain, having become evil due to his ruined relationship with Calypso.

Another instance where his soft side is shown is when Captain Jack Sparrow tells him that Will Turner is about to be married. Jones' expression softens considerably after being told this; many fans have even spotted what appear to be tears in his eyes, though this is not enough to persuade him to release Will. Other clues reflecting the character's privately romantic side include the matching music-box lockets which Jones and Calypso both possess, the numerous love letters and poems (found with a dried bouquet of yellow roses) stashed along with his heart when it was found in Dead Man's Chest, when he plays a sad melody on his organ while mourning the recently-killed Kraken in At World's End, and the moment that shows him staring at Elizabeth's wedding dress floating amongst the debris of the just-sunken Edinburgh Trader, with the locket's melody playing with the scene. During the climax of At World's End, he taunts Turner and Elizabeth Swann when he realized their apparent relationship, stating that love is a dreadful bond which can be easily severed.

In the films, Jones possesses a locket that plays a distinguishable melody, and he is known to play the same melody on his pipe organ. This melody is also his character's theme, and can be heard throughout the film's score. It comes in two variations: The soundtrack version and the film version. The soundtrack version is never heard in its full splendor during the film (only in the end credits), and its melody is heard only in Dead Man's Chest. The film version is played in both films multiple times, and is heard last during the climax of the film. Because Jones and Calypso own matching locket musicboxes, Tia Dalma's theme is similar to that of Davy Jones, albeit in a different arrangement.

Powers and abilities

See also: Flying Dutchman (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Kraken (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Davy Jones' character was given a large arsenal of supernatural abilities at his disposal. Though normally relying on the strength of his crew, ship, and the Kraken, Jones has proven quite powerful on his own. He is seen in At World's End as a brilliantly skilled swordsman and was able to break Jack Sparrow's sword with his crab-claw hand as well as defeat everybody that opposed him. Jones is capable of teleportation on board the Flying Dutchman and the Black Pearl and can pass through solid objects, although he is never seen going through people. Having no heart, Jones is immortal, capable of surviving fatal wounds. However, he is not impervious to pain, as demonstrated when Jack was able to cut off some of his facial tentacles during their battle, causing a scream of anguish, as well as shouting in pain after Will impales him through the back. The severed tentacle, displaying both animation and loyalty to its master, later inched across the ship deck with the key to Jones' chest. Nonetheless, Jones does seem to have a large pain tolerance, as evidenced when he was undeterred by Will's sword stuck within his body, and was completely indifferent when Norrington stabs him in the shoulder. Jones can also track any soul that is owed to him using the black spot, which any member of his crew can give, but only he can take back.

Davy Jones' character has only two real weaknesses: his inability to come on land, and his heart. Anyone who possesses his heart can "control" him by extortion. Because he can only go on land once every decade, Davy Jones sends his crew to accomplish whatever task he needs done on land. However, in At World's End, Jones is seen on "land" (actually a sandbar in the middle of the ocean), standing in a bucket of water, which means that there may be several loopholes to this rule.

As Davy Jones was appointed by Calypso to be the one to use Flying Dutchman to ferry the souls of those who died at sea, he cannot die without a successor. This is expressed with the phrase "The Dutchman must have a captain", repeated over the course of the film, which means that whoever kills Davy Jones has to take his place as the new captain of the Flying Dutchman and ferry the lost souls to the other world. This position is eventually assumed by Will Turner.

Jones has also the power to control and call forth the Kraken, a sea monster which can destroy ships upon command by Jones.

Merchandise

Davy Jones was part of Series One of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest action figure set produced by NECA. Although the initial run of figures had a sticker on the box that proclaimed that the figure came with the Dead Man's Chest and Jones' heart, both props (as well as the key) were released with the Bootstrap Bill figure in Series Two. Jones also made an appearance as a smaller figure with crew members Angler, Wheelback and Penrod. Jones was issued as a plush toy as part of Sega's "Dead Man's Chest" plush assortment. Jones was also part of a 3 figure pack as a 3.75 inch figure with Hector Barbossa and a limited edition gold Jack Sparrow for At World's End. Davy Jones and his ship, the Flying Dutchman, were produced as a Mega Blocks set for the movies Dead Man's Chest and At World's End. Although his minifigure counterpart in the Dead Man's Chest set has more bluish tentacles then his counterpart in the At Worlds End set, which has more greenish tentacles.

A children's and adult Halloween costumes were released for Halloween 2007.

Hot Toys also announced plans to make a 1:6 version of Davy Jones which became available Q2 2008, and is widely regarded as more detailed than those produced by NECA.

External links

• Davy Jones at the Internet Movie Database
• Davy Jones at the Pirates of the Caribbean wiki
• Davy Jones Music Box Forum with public questions & answers about Pirates of the Caribbean music boxes