The United States in the 40’s was on the verge of entering another world war. Europe was in chaos, as was the Pacific. Curtiz’s film had many allusions to the dire state of affairs in the world at this time. The Spanish Armada represented the Axis Powers, and England as itself, while Captain Thorpe and his Sea Hawks represented a slightly non-committed United States. In the beginning of the film, King Phillip II, while viewing a large map, states, "this will cease to be a map of the world. It will be a map of Spain". This statement of conquest is hauntingly similar to the words of Hitler, Mussolini, and Emperor Tojo. The last speech at the end of the film promotes a great deal of anti-war sentiment. "We must prepare our nation for a war that none of us want," said Flynn. He emphasized a belief in neutrality, which mirrors the words of American politicians from this era. England’s stance, as presented by Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson) , also echoed the post-WWI U.S. policy of "diplomacy."

The movie also mirrors the lifestyles of 1940’s America. The opening scene sees a young 16^th century royal playing tennis with her handmaiden on the decks of the Spanish ship. This was surely not common practice 400 years ago, but popular on cruises to the Bahamas in the 40’s. The dialogue throughout the movie was extremely polite, like many movies in that time, but not how pirates in those days may have conversed. It seems there would be a great deal more pillaging, looting, raping, and profanity involved in a serious deep sea battle. Lastly, the songs from the film sounded more like 1940’s show tunes rather than ancient sea shanties, especially Brenda Marshall’s performance.

At the time this movie was made, there was little in the way of special effects. It was a young industry that was just entering the age of color. One striking change in the film’s texture and contrast was Captain Thorpe’s mission to Panama. The film, until this point, had been shot in black and white, but upon arrival on the banks of the Central American nation, the film turned to a brownish, sepia filter, which transmitted the change of latitude to the viewer. It seemed to create a feeling of a tropical environment and was an effective way for the film to present the change of locale. On the return to Spain, the movie returns to the original black and white stock.