The first of the great swashbuckling films of the sound era, Captain Blood (1935) provided the first major roles for its two stars, Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. It contained all the right ingredients in mostly the right proportions: gallantry, piracy, duels, sea battles, politics, and romance. Nothing about the film is perfect: the accents are of mixed authenticity, the quality of the acting is variable, and the fight choreography wavers between natural and wooden, but the film’s totality outshines its components. Greater swashbuckling films would follow, but Captain Blood carved a wider path for them.
- Writing: Good
- Directing: Good
- Acting: Fair/Good
- Cinematography: Good
- Stunts: Good
- Swordplay: Good
- Panache: Good
Overall Rating: Good
Swashbuckling Rank: Good
Tags: swashbuckling