The movie was about to start.
In the rapidly darkening theater, Luke, holding Taylor Swift's hand, once again made his way to the two seats in the very back corner. Luke took the aisle seat, and Taylor settled into the seat right against the wall.
Just as they got comfortable, the two men they had been talking beside in the waiting area came and sat down right next to them. Seeing Luke sitting in the adjacent seat, they paused for a moment before taking their places.
Soon, Luke heard them begin to talk in hushed tones.
The taller, muscular guy quietly whispered, "I was wondering who snagged the tickets for this corner. Can't believe it's them. Do rich folks like coming to theaters for a little excitement?"
The shorter, stockier man gave him a firm pat. "Today, I just want to watch the movie!"
"Alright, focus it is. For Luke's sake!"
Hearing their conversation, Taylor playfully nudged Luke with her elbow. Luke pursed his lips, signaling that the movie had begun.
The film opened with a magnificent naval warship sailing through the vast, grey, foggy sea and sky. Young Elizabeth Swann stood on the deck rail, singing a pirate song. Though Elizabeth was of noble birth, she longed for freedom and was fascinated by the reckless lives of pirates.
Just then, a navy sailor approached and gently pulled her shoulder. "Stop singing! Please stop!"
The young Elizabeth turned her head and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Those of us who live on the sea are very wary of having women aboard, and we're especially wary of singing pirate songs. It's said to bring bad luck. Miss, we're already anxious just having you on the ship, so please don't sing that song anymore."
Elizabeth nodded reluctantly at the sailor's words.
Seeing this scene, the tall man next to Luke quietly asked, "In the Age of Sail, were there really no women on the ships? What did they do when they... needed to relieve themselves?"
"Why do you think every port is packed with saloons and bars? Who do you think all those women in those places are for?" the shorter man replied, clearly more knowledgeable.
"Even if they can solve that problem in port, what about when they're out at sea? They're sailing for months at a time. How do they handle that?"
"There's a joke: A new sailor gets on a ship and sees every crew member getting a turn at a wooden barrel with a hole in it. He asks an old sailor, 'Can I use that too?' The old sailor says, 'You can use it Monday through Saturday.' The new sailor asks, 'Why can't I use it on Sunday?' The old sailor says, 'On Sunday, you have to be the one inside it.'"
After telling the joke, the stocky man laughed and asked, "Do you understand now?"
The muscular guy exclaimed in surprise, "You're kidding me! If that were me, I'd stay inside the barrel all week!"
Hearing this, the shorter man punched him hard. "I knew you were dishonest! Always looking for a little something on the side!"
The tall guy quickly started trying to appease him in a low voice.
The film continued.
At that moment, Lieutenant Norrington, the commander of the navy's elite fleet, walked over. "Don't worry, you go ahead and sing. With me here, any pirates who show up will be dealt with!"
But Elizabeth seemed uninterested in his bravado. Staring at the sea, she suddenly shouted, "Look!"
A piece of wreckage floated toward them on the current. Lying on the bobbing plank was a small, unconscious boy. Seeing this, the crew rushed to save the boy and bring him aboard.
At the same time, a merchant ship engulfed in flames appeared in the distance. The ship had clearly been attacked and set ablaze by pirates, and the small boy seemed to be the sole survivor.
While the attention of everyone on the ship was fixed on the burning merchant vessel, Elizabeth went over to the unconscious boy. On a necklace around his neck, she noticed a gold coin with a skull motif. This was a pirate symbol, suggesting the boy might not be a merchant survivor but a pirate himself.
Should she expose him?
Gazing at the boy's handsome face, Elizabeth forcefully yanked the skull coin off and hid it in her sleeve. Having done that, the young Elizabeth turned back, and in the dense fog, she vaguely saw a black-sailed ship speeding away in the distance. The vessel was completely black, even its sails were tattered black cloth, but it held a strange, powerful magic that immediately captured her imagination and stayed with her.
The scene then shifted to eight years later.
The grown-up Elizabeth, played by Anne Hathaway, woke up from that childhood dream. She walked over to the mirror, took out the skull coin necklace hidden under her clothes, and examined it closely.
Just then, her father knocked and entered with a maid, inviting her to Commodore Norrington's promotion ceremony. The naval lieutenant from eight years ago was now a Commodore. He was young, handsome, and had a bright future—the perfect partner her father had chosen for Elizabeth.
But Elizabeth was completely indifferent to Commodore Norrington. The image of another person had already taken hold in her heart.
The screen then showed the scene that Luke and Anne had filmed on set, the dramatic conversation that had so impressed Director Verbinski and Johnny Depp.
This opening dialogue scene seemed simple but was incredibly difficult to execute. The difficulty wasn't for Anne but for Luke. He had to immediately establish his character's persona and win the audience's approval and affection. In just a few lines of dialogue, he needed to convey the male lead Will Turner's deep affection, his caution, and his quiet courage despite his reserved nature.
When Elizabeth on the big screen asked, "Do you remember the day we met?"
Will first met the dream girl's eyes with a look of deep emotion: "How could I ever forget?"
Then, he immediately lowered his gaze, saying with a hint of forced distance, "Miss Swann."
Watching this moment, the entire audience was moved.
"That poor guy is heartbreaking! He's so handsome and so perfect for the lead actress, but because of the class difference, he has to desperately hide his true feelings."
"Luke's acting is great. Seeing him struggling to suppress his emotions almost makes me want to cry."
"I've seen so many of Luke's short films, but this role gives him a bigger canvas. This is the first time I've realized his acting is this good."
"For a person who is such a genius in sports to be equally stunning as an actor—I don't know how much the gods favor him!"
As the audience collectively murmured in awe, the shorter man next to Luke said, "Honestly, Commodore Norrington is really handsome, too. If Luke wasn't in it, I'd be totally fine with him."
The taller man nodded. "Kids choose. I'd take both!"