‘The Art of Pirates’ shares Kaua‘i

LIHU‘E— The first day of filming “The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” is aptly described by Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of POTC films, in the book “The Art of Pirates.”

“It was set transportation, POTC style: boarding a Zodiac craft on one side of the island, then disembarking several yards offshore on the other, before literally being dragged through pounding surf on a floating sled behind a jetski doing its utmost to evade the waves, but not quite succeeding,” Bruckheimer said in the foreward of “The Art of Disney Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”

That memorable moment lives in Bruckheimer’s mind as one of the “wild and woolly” moments during the 100-plus days of filming the movie, portions of which were filmed on Kaua‘i, piquing the interest of residents and visitors alike.

Combined with his photographs, many done on-set during filming and captured for the silver screen, readers can now relive the epic of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow through the pages of the coffee table book.

Sue Kanoho, director of the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau, was impressed as the pages brought her back to the days she was able to visit the actual filming.

Rains drenched the island, shutting down production for most of the day, frustrating the producer and crews.

The following day, clear skies welcomed the crew, which was able to shoot at Ke‘e Beach with Depp and Kevin R. McNally.

“For a shot in which the two walk off into the sunset, cotton-ball clouds suddenly moved in to create a perfect image of the sun’s radiant light,” said Michael Singer, the unit publicist and author of the book. “Even with all of the technological advances which have been made over the past few decades, nothing could match the perfection of that magnificant Hawaiian landscape.”

Kanoho said that is her favorite passage from the book, describing not only the film crew’s triumph, but summing up life on Kaua‘i.

“There are pages where the photographers have done an excellent job of capturing scenes of places where residents cannot visit,” Kanoho said.

Honopu‘u Beach, described by Bruckheimer as “incredibly beautiful and secluded, tucked into the magnificent Na Pali Coast of Kaua‘i,” is one of those shown in a publicist’s photo showing a helicopter off-loading crew members and a fully costumed Depp onto the pristine sands.

Vignettes of the island grace the pages, including aerial views of Na Pali and Valley House, coming off the silver screen from Keapana where Sparrow says, “You know that feeling you get, sometimes, standing in a high place, a sudden urge to jump … I don’t have it.”

Hector  Barbossa and Sparrow “find themselves in quite a fix,” Singer writes, in a scene filmed at the coconut grove of the Coco Palms Resort, another scene coming full-page off the silver screen.

Singer says “although known to most tourists simply as the ‘Blue Room,’ or ‘Blue Cave,’ to the Native Hawaiian people, this place of great and sacred cultural significance on Kaua‘i’s North Shore is known as Waiakapala‘e.

“The exquisite cave grotto (photographed by Peter Mountain) was chosen as the entrance to the caverns, which lead to the Fountain of Youth,” Singer said in the book. “An appropriate choice, because the Hawaiians believe the water in Waiakapala‘e has its own life-giving power.”

He said the day’s filming at that location started with a spiritual blessing ceremony by a Hawaiian cultural practitioner.

“There is the immediate sound of water,” Sparrow said. “All look, see: along the sides of the cave, the odd sight of water rising. Just a trickle at first …”

Kanoho relives the epic, not only of the film, but of the filmmaking experience through her Bruckheimer-autographed copy each time she thumbs through the book.

The film “Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides” is the fourth installment in TPOC series, featuring Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane. It was filmed in Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Los Angeles, Calif., Puerto Rico and England.

Readers can find limited copies for sale at the Kaua‘i Museum gift shop, or by visiting the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau office on Rice Street in Lihu‘e.