Wednesday, Film4, 6:40pm
Ah, Cutthroat Island—a cautionary tale in the annals of filmmaking, where ambition met calamity and left a trail of doubloons in its wake. Released in 1995 and directed by Renny Harlin, this film sought to resurrect the high-seas adventure genre with the gusto of a cannon broadside. Starring Geena Davis as the fierce pirate Morgan Adams and Matthew Modine as her reluctant partner William Shaw, it promised daring sword fights, treasure maps, and enough explosive action to rival a naval battle. Instead, it infamously tanked at the box office, becoming one of the biggest financial disasters in cinematic history and helping to sink Carolco Pictures, the studio behind it. Still, for all its failings, it’s a rollicking watch for anyone with a soft spot for campy charm and gloriously over-the-top theatrics.
The film’s struggles are legendary. Production was plagued by script rewrites, creative disputes, and exorbitant costs. Harlin, married to Davis at the time, was determined to make her a breakout action star, but the chemistry with Modine was as patchy as a tattered sail. Yet, the set pieces are undeniably ambitious, featuring spectacular ship battles, daring stunts, and enough firepower to outgun any modern blockbuster. Yes, the dialogue occasionally creaks like an old galleon, but there's something endearing about its earnestness—a kind of '90s pirate cosplay with a Hollywood budget. Sure, it flopped, but it set the stage for the genre's eventual revival in Pirates of the Caribbean a few years later. The parallels are uncanny; one can almost picture Jack Sparrow raising a tankard to Morgan Adams, a kindred spirit.
What truly redeems Cutthroat Island, though, is John Debney's sweeping score. An absolute triumph, the soundtrack conjures the spirit of Errol Flynn classics, with soaring strings, bombastic brass, and a sense of adventure that outpaces the script itself. Debney's work here is an overlooked gem, frequently cited by film music aficionados as one of the finest swashbuckling scores ever written. It’s got everything: bold pirate themes, romantic interludes, and rousing crescendos that might tempt you to commandeer the nearest ship—or at least hum along while doing the dishes. It’s a shame that the film’s failure overshadowed Debney’s career for a time, but the music lives on, a testament to the magic of a good score even when the ship itself goes under. So, if you fancy a trip to the high seas with a side of Hollywood history, give Cutthroat Island a spin—and maybe have Debney’s soundtrack queued up for the ride.
- Noel Chambers