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I've seen the film several times as a child. There were several things I never quite understood. Can anyone explain me the circumstances of Manuel's death?--80.141.247.186 (talk) 14:15, 6 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
After Disko wins the game of high seas chicken with Cushman, Long Jack warns Disko he should luff his top sheet to avoid losing the sail to the strong winds. Disko agrees and sends him and Manuel up, but waits to luff the sheet. The sheet stresses a line, which parts before they reach the top, putting the main mast into the sea. Long Jack gets clear but Manuel is fouled by the backstays {the rigging) and is crushed below the waist and slowly being cut in half by the lines. Disko is faced with the horrible choice of chopping the line and drowning Manuel, or allowing the rope to saw him in half. He chooses the former as the most merciful.--Reedmalloy (talk) 18:13, 19 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
The sequence is a masterful job of understatement. Adults would instinctively recognize Manuel's peril, but children would be slower on the uptake, and would therefore not spoil the experience for adult viewers. I remember being genuinely frightened by John Carradine's Long Jack. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.215.115.31 (talk) 17:19, 16 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
