The Pirate takes place in some Caribbean of the mind, with lots of shadows and lace and high mantillas, and it's all about the promise of sex; the film keeps tapping into a nervous, adolescent sort of fear and desire.

Pure pleasure.

Its metatheatrical musical stylings border on the avant-garde under Minelli's nimble direction, and while the film certainly has some cringe-worthy sexual politics in hindsight, it's also a much better film than its reputation suggests.

It's certainly cumbersome in spots, but some zesty musical numbers and spirited performances help carry it over the finish line.