The Cinematheque

“Expertly staged … As the femme pirate Captain Providence, Jean Peters outdoes [the] tradition … There’s nothing ludicrous about her performance.”

William Brogdon, Variety

Pirate films, with their adventurous lifestyles of spirited rises and ruins, dangers and freedoms, once made up one of the most reliable genres in studio Hollywood. Jacques Tourneur’s Anne of the Indies is a special entry. Marketed to kids, it features a rare leading action role for a woman in the 1950s and, daringly, funnels a self-awareness about this fact into a psychologically coherent story of betrayal, Blackbeard, bear wrestling, and big, blazingly beautiful battle sequences! Anne Providence (Jean Peters) is a pirate captain. While she commands the respect of her crew and her enemies, her reputation is defined in negative terms. It’s said that she isn’t like most women, and certainly isn’t a conventional male captain. She is isolated, and this is used against her by a French spy who poses as a prisoner in need of rescuing. Anne is a heroic figure whether she’s duelling in swords or melodrama, capable of cruel strategy as well as stubborn risk-taking.

“Peters, with her steely gaze, agile swordsmanship, grit, and wit, is a true tour de force in this groundbreaking role as one of the first female pirates of the silver screen.”

Jessica Smith, TIFF Cinematheque