What is especially notable about this blockbuster sequel, however, is that it, like its predecessor, features a protagonist whose mannerisms defy the stereotype of the traditional American action hero.

As other publications noted in promotion of both movies, Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow is just
a little different from the likes of Rocky Balboa, the Terminator or Bruce Willis' character from the Die Hard movies.

Make that a lot different.

Most obviously, the character is morally ambiguous. That's a given, since he's a pirate. He's also not the only hero in the story. For example, when he's making a bad decision--say, selling the soul of poor Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) into an eternity of being an undead deckhand on the ship of Davy Jones--the heroics are performed by Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley), a character who defies the traditions of the cinematic damsel-in-distress as much Sparrow defies those of a hero.

But the differences run more deeply. As some viewers--gay and straight--surely have noted, Depp's performance leans a little toward the higher end of the Kinsey scale.

Sure, we've all read that Depp based certain affectations on those of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, whose heyday spanned a time when mainstream male rock stars could still act a little fey and nonetheless make fans swoon.

A fan of the swashbuckler genre could also easily make comparisons between Sparrow and Errol Flynn's on-screen personas. Indeed, Flynn 's own sexual orientation has continued to be a matter of speculation long after his death.

However slightly, Depp himself owned up to Sparrow's gayness in the current issue of Rolling Stone, which features the actor in full pirate drag on the cover along with the text “Johnny Depp--His Wild Past and the Secret Side of Capt. Jack.”

Writer Mark Binelli asks about the gay-seeming mannerisms and Depp, a consummate actor if their ever was one, responds with the notion that these little flourishes--a little eyeliner here, a swagger there, a casual, a flip of the hand--arose out of research.

“Well, there was a great book I read… What was it called? Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition. A very interesting book. I wasn't exactly going for that with the character…
But with Jack, it was more that I liked the idea of being ambiguous, of taking this character and making everything a little bit… questionable.”

He doesn't explicitly say that situational homosexuality was a part of pirate life, but he notes that “women were thought to be bad luck on ships” and that long periods of time could separate these men from one port and the next. It's done in a roundabout fashion, but Depp does acknowledge that, whether intentional or not, this side of Sparrow exists.

It's always difficult for critics to look on characters written to exist in time periods before western society had a concept of homosexuality as a lifestyle and claim that character as 100 percent gay.

But because the Pirates of the Caribbean films were written for modern audiences, it seems fair for gay viewers to mull this movie over and wonder just how much gay subtext is being so willingly absorbed by American moviegoers--enough of them, in fact, to generate $135 million in ticket sales the opening weekend alone.

For instance, what to make of the cross-dressing subplot? In order to sneak aboard Sparrow's ship, Knightley's character dons a male guise, leading to an awkward interaction between her and Sparrow, with the latter eventually claiming that he is “married to the sea”.

Why should writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio feel compelled to add more gender-bending to the script? They surely read the reviews that mentioned Sparrow's ambiguous mannerisms and they had already woven a similar plot thread through the first film with the cross-dressing character played by actress Zoe Saldana?

And that's not even saying anything about the climactic three-way that has Sparrow,
Will and Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport) unsheathing their swords and becoming so engrossed in their manly sparring that they completely abandon Elizabeth on a beach.

Some film major may one day further explore the homoerotic elements of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies as a senior thesis project. Who knows--the third film may be the gayest one yet. Ultimately, it's just a fun way to look at a popular franchise and a way for gay viewers to take something wildly popular and find draw something personal out of it.

What's truly remarkable about the success of Pirates of the Caribbean is not that Depp chose to play the role with more of a gay twist than one of his peers would. Depp is a daring actor who has played outsiders before.

No, the bigger deal here is that American audiences have taken so enthusiastically to the films, in spite of the fact that the series' iconic character has some viewers wondering just why he decided to spend his life on a boat with a bunch of other men.

In fact, if viewers aren't recognizing Captain Jack Sparrow as a violator of gender norms,
it should be all the more gratifying to gay audiences. Essentially, the movie going public is looking past mannerisms, and recognizing the character is an engaging, likable one, eye make-up or not. And maybe we could do with a bit more of life imitating art, at least to that tolerant end.