In Pirates of the Caribbean, Elizabeth Swan tries so hard to hold her own with the men. However, they play on her weakness to fall for men. They use her vulnerability towards Captain Jack Sparrow to ultimately bring her demise. She can not focus on her task at hand (saving her husband) because she is too involved with Captain Jack. I believe this is being used to symbolize the female weakness for men.
At first she appears to be equal to her male counterparts but as it would end up she is the one that needs saving. This brings about the damsel in distress theory. Elizabeth comes out strong in the beginning yet she just cant keep up with the guys.
I don't believe this is meant to be sexist it is just what people expect to see when they go to the movies. There is something about the heroic male figure that saves the day and gets the girl in the process. Yet, the times are changing so it adds a little flavor to have the girl be a little more fiery in the beginning. This makes the woman more attractive, yet they also show the vulnerable, feminine side of her by having her still need help from her men.
