Original artwork, not a still
Life is cruel. Why should the afterlife be any different?
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Jones sells damnation as customer service: the sea is merciless, the next world will be no kinder, so you might as well sign on. It is the villain's whole pitch in one shrug, delivered by Bill Nighy as the Dutchman's captain. Fans quote it as deadpan fatalism, a one-line answer to any complaint that life is unfair.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's ChestShow the scene
In Dead Man's Chest, Davy Jones, the tentacle-bearded captain of the Flying Dutchman, hauls the survivors of a wrecked ship aboard and gives each of the dying a choice: fear of judgment, or a hundred years in his crew. He delivers the line to a frightened sailor, then offers to postpone the judgment in exchange for a hundred years before the mast, and the man agrees. The same scene brings Will Turner before Jones, claiming Jack Sparrow sent him to settle a debt, which sets up the thirteen-year bargain over the Black Pearl.
Sources (2)
- Dead Man's Chest script (Springfield! Springfield!)Flying Dutchman scene, Jones's offer to the sailors and his questioning of WillReference checked
- Davy Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean WikiLord of the Sea section and page quote boxReference checked
Context reviewed
