StrictlyConfidential This pirate's story of guts and glory is, pretty much, a "Robin Hood" tale of the high seas.If you don't take 1935's "Captain Blood" too seriously - Then - Yes. It can actually be quite an enjoyable 2-hour romp of pre-CGI swashbuckling action.Directed by Michael Curtiz (of "Casablanca" fame) - "Captain Blood" stars movie-idol and heartthrob, Errol Flynn (26 at the time) in his first major movie role (as the title character).Set in the 17th century - This $1.5 million production first takes its story to England and then it's onto a high seas adventure to Port Royal, Jamaica where (guess what?) romance is, indeed, waiting for Captain Blood with arms opened wide. (kissy-kissy-smooch-smooch)(And you can be sure that with a name like "Blood" there's gonna be some serious changes made)

rpm1122 If you pay attention to Captain Blood, there's some, uh, interesting things going on. Flynn's character is named "Peter Blood" and the name isn't some random cipher. It's a linguistic embed. Peter Blood is code for engorged p***s. I chuckled at the the thought of the thinly veiled symbolism and moved onto watching film. Then, some interesting things took place in the film, goatee stroking interesting, hmmmm, things.There's a scene where Flynn/Blood takes off on his horse to treat the Governor of Jamaica who has gout, De Havilland rides beside him. Protruding from the saddle is a rather phallic horn that Flynn lightly strokes. It's a very odd scene, but connects with the title, "Peter Blood."When Flynn is about to leave the governor after treating him for his gout, the governor pleads with him to stay, and with a wide smile, asks Flynn/Blood to bleed him one more time? Because everyone has a wide eyed smiled when it comes to getting bled.Upon Flynn's arrival back at the stockade, Jeremy Pitt, has been drawn and quartered. Dr. Blood attends to his wounds and at one point, Pitt played by Ross Alexander is embraced from behind by Blood and has this bizarre soliloquy about seeing ships going in and out, in and out in and out of the harbor. The scene not only has a strange current of homosexuality in it, similar to the previous scene, but Alexander, who was a closeted homosexual would commit suicide in Hollywood, just two years later.On one level, the film serves as a symbolic vehicle to launch Flynn's swashbuckling career into the minds of millions, replete with symbols of virility and power. These qualities would be associated with Flynn for most of his career.And on another level, Michael Curtiz and perhaps even Flynn are playing with homosexual undertones. It was later revealed amongst many other hidden aspects of Flynn's life, that he was bi-sexual.It's truly one of the great pirate films of all time, and Flynn, the Gemini, was flashing at times, a decidedly gay blade.

richard-1787 From the moment Blood learns that England has changed kings, from the bad King James to the good King William, and announces that he and his crew will fight the French to save Jamaica to the conclusion of the sea battle when the English flag is raised in triumph, this is as exciting as any movie scenes ever shot.Everything contributes: Michael Curtiz' brilliant direction, Erich Korngold's exciting music, the individual character creations by several of the actors.We will see a fair amount of this again, done even better, in the Curtiz-Flynn-Korngold collaborations The Sea Hawk and The Adventures of Robin Hood. But it is fascinating, and very exciting, to see how it all started.Historical note: I wonder if there is any connection between the change of English kings in this movie and the contemporary change of kings (1936) when Edward VIII abdicates and his younger brother George VI replaces him. (The subject of the excellent modern movie The King's Speech.) Certainly Edward VIII was not hated, as James II was. Was there a reason why George VI would have been a more inspiring monarch for the British in 1936? The Treaty of Munich was still two years away. How many English saw the country headed for war in 1936?

matttaylor-65065 This is just a fantastic pirate film. In fact to be honest its just a fantastic film altogether! Something about the film is just as good today as it was when it was made! 80 years ago! Has it really been 80 years! This was like Robin Hood of the sea kind of film. The film is like justice over law, robbing the rich and giving to the poor kind of idea. Flynn is a Doctor who found himself on the wrong side of one of the United Kingdom's many civil wars, he was sent away to be a slave in one of the outer colonies, you only need to just see the way he stares at the judge! It says everything you need to know right their!He didn't choose to become an outlaw and he just does what he needs to in order to survive (maybe get a little revenge).