“Titanic” is three hours long. When you hear that runtime, you might wonder if it’s worth your time to watch. But as soon as you are immersed in the romantic, tragic and at times comical world of two fictional young adults aboard the Titanic, you won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen.
“Titanic” is a 1997 movie directed by James Cameron, who also directed “Aliens,” “Avatar” and “The Terminator.” While the film tells the true story of the ship’s sinking, it is centered around the fictional characters of Rose and Jack (Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio). Rose is a high-society woman who feels trapped by her status, while Jack is a free spirit who is taken where the wind—or, in his case, gambling—goes.
The true story of the Titanic is interesting in itself. Built and launched from Northern Ireland, the RMS Titanic’s planned course was to sail across the North Atlantic Ocean to New York, carrying both passengers and cargo. Construction began in 1909, and the “unsinkable” ship launched on April 10, 1912, making a few stops to board additional passengers before beginning its journey across the ocean. During the night of April 14, the Titanic scraped a large iceberg, allowing water to rush in on the starboard (right) side of the ship.
Water rushed into the forward compartments, pulling the ship downward, spilling into those further back. The weight eventually became so heavy that the ship split in two, and both parts sank into the North Atlantic in the early morning hours of April 15. Following the standard of the time, the ship only carried enough lifeboats for half of the passengers aboard. Of the roughly 2,200 people aboard the Titanic, around 1,500 died and only about 700 people survived.
Many details of the historically accurate Titanic voyage are represented in the film, and through the score and soundtrack, the audience can experience a film version of the actual tragedy.
To immerse the viewer in the film, the opening scenes begin with an underwater exploration of the Titanic in the present day. Researchers are searching for a lost diamond called the Heart of the Ocean (inspired by the Hope Diamond). Their search leads them to Rose, a Titanic survivor. Rose tells her and Jack’s story aboard the Titanic, beginning by saying, “It’s been 84 years, and I can still smell the fresh paint.”
The first half of the movie takes the viewer through an accurate representation of life aboard the Titanic, showing both the first class, where Rose stayed, and the third class, where Jack lived. Throughout, there is a theme of historical irony because, while the audience knows what will happen, the people aboard still have to experience it in real time. There is plenty of romance and comedy in this part of the movie, with laugh-out-loud funny scenes that make the movie feel like it could be complete as just a romantic comedy.
Then, they hit the infamous iceberg that sank the ship. In an accurate portrayal of how the ship sank in real life, the second half of the movie is a chaotic and thrilling adventure that ends in a tragedy, which adds many layers beyond that of a typical romantic comedy. Many of the characters in this part of the movie are people in real life, although Cameron takes some liberties with what they do and say.
All in all, “Titanic” is a fascinating historical fiction movie that has romance, comedy, adventure and tragedy, which are all components of a great film. So, despite the lengthy time commitment, “Titanic” is well worth watching.
