Captain Phillips
Directed by Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips looks at the true story of Captain Richard Phillips during the hijacking by Somali pirates in 2009. The MV Maersk Alabama, the ship under attack, is an American-flagged cargo ship traveling to Mombosa. The story outlines the struggle of unarmed cargo ships, as they travel through Somalian waters. Although they unarmed, Captain Phillips uses his decision-making to protect his crew. Captain Phillips tells the story of the economic struggles of third-world people, as well as the importance of family.
At the beginning of the movie, the first shot appears of the face of Captain Phillips, played by Tom Hanks. It is important to recognize that the film is centered around him and his struggle. An important facet of the movie is the theme of family and the importance of family toward Captain Phillips. Captain Phillips’ decisions and emotions throughout the movie are centered around family. The movie slowly transitions from Captain Phillips to the Somalian pirates, led by Abduwali Muse. Muse picks people from a village to accompany him on the hijacking, which speaks towards the amount of people willing to join this lifestyle due to the economic hardship placed upon these people. The clothing worn by the Somalians is ragged, as well as their skinny and boney faces. When Muse and Captain Phillips finally come face to face, Muse describes that “it’s all business” and they “just want the money” (Greengrass). This relates back to the idea that it is a forced occupation due to the economic struggles faced by the villagers. Similarly, when Captain Phillips tells them that they can have all the cash, Muse wanted more than the $20,000. When Muse was searching the ship and Captain Phillips stated that there was nothing else, Muse stated that he “came too far, Irish. [He} will not give up” (Greengrass). This confirms the situation faced upon them that forced the pirates to steal from the ship, because it is the only income that they have.
The choice of language is an interesting facet of the movie. As an audience member, one will never be able to know exactly what the Somalians are saying, since there are no subtitles in English. The only reading one can get during the Somalian pirate’s meetings is their facial and body language. During the buildup of the movie, it’s apparent that this is a necessity for them, as they have no other way of income. Afterwards, when the pirates board the ship and have Captain Phillips hostage, the only person talking to Captain Phillips is Abduwali Muse. Muse states that he is “skinny, but [he’s] not a coward” (Greengrass). This puts the importance on Muse and Captain Phillips, and it is their struggle to accomplish each of their goals. For Muse, it is to obtain as much money and items for him to be able to live a decent life. He tells Captain Phillips, “Hey. No Al-Qaeda here” (Greengrass). For Captain Phillips, it is to make sure everyone of his crew members stays safe as they await the help from the Navy. By the end of the film, it is apparent that Captain Phillips treats each of his crew members like family, as well as making sure he is okay due to his family back home.
When Captain Phillips enters the ship, he is addressed the path that the ship will take on its way to Mombasa. When Captain Phillips is viewing the map, the camera slowly moves in on the Somali Basin, as Captain Phillips is in silence. Paul Greengrass uses this shot to show how worried Captain Phillips is about the trek through the waters were Somalian pirates mostly are. The scene builds a level of tension between the soon-to-be attempted hijacking. Additionally, Captain Phillips runs through a security check with his crew in anticipation of an attempted hijacking. During this security precaution, they are approached by Muse and his crew. Although the pirates were unsuccessful during their first attempt to board the ship, the whole crew understands the situation that they will return once again to hijack the ship. The first thirty minutes of the film is devoted to building the tension between the crews before they finally meet.
An element used by Paul Greengrass is the choice of music being played in each situation. He uses a combination of silence and fast beating music to build tension between the Somalian pirates and the crew of the ship. When it’s just the crew members, Greengrass uses silence to build the tension, while the fast beating music is seen in the fight scenes when the Somalian Pirates are on ship. The choice of music sets the scene for the crew’s struggle on the US MV Maersk Alabama, whether it be through hiding or the final confrontation when the Navy Seals sniper kills the Somalian pirates while they were torturing Captain Phillips.
The ending scene of the movie tells all about the themes and struggle of the movie. When Captain Phillips is entering the medical room to get treated for his wounds after the snipers killed the pirates, the camera follows him from behind him into the room. While he is getting treated, the camera is constantly moving, which gives the effect that the viewer is in the room. This allows the viewer to sympathize with Captain Phillips and what he just experienced. Captain Phillips asks, “Does my family know I am safe” (Greengrass). This reaffirms how he went about the hijacking, where he wanted to make sure that everyone was safe, because he treated them all like family. Additionally, when Captain Phillips is being treated for his wounds, Paul Greengrass uses a slow beat to show a release of stress and a lifting of burden from Captain Phillips. The music confirms that Captain Phillips and his crew’s worries are all gone, because his crew is safe and that he will make it home to his family.
Captain Phillips delivers many messages on the importance of adversity and family. During many of the scenes when Captain Phillips was under the capture of the Somalian Pirates, his whole train of thought and decision makings are based on the protection of his crew. His selflessness allows him and his crew to stay safe while they waited for help from the Navy.
