Titanic
Three years, I've thought of nothing except Titanic; but I never got it... I never let it in
First, let me apologize for Movie Mondays being postponed to Tuesday this week. I had a very hectic work week, and Rihanna's halftime show took up all the time I usually use to edit and schedule my newsletter! With that being said, this week's letter focuses on none other than the movie that sat at the top of the box office's highest-grossing movies list for 12 years until it was defeated by its own director James Cameron's 2009 film Avatar. Titanic is beloved for many reasons, but for me, it's far more than a love story set upon what was then the largest ship ever built.
I remember the first time I watched Titanic when I was younger and how it automatically sparked an intense obsession within me. Not because of Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet's inimitable chemistry but because of Titanic's story itself. To this day, I find myself intrigued by the tragedy, still trying to answer the questions of how it happened and how so many intelligent people could make such a careless error.
People call April 14th, 1912, the "fateful night" Titanic struck an iceberg and sank. Though it seems obvious through the facts and many stories told that it wasn't fate that took Titanic down but greed, arrogance, and the ignorant belief that the ship and those on it were more powerful than nature itself. As James mentioned in his Masterclass, the situation of Titanic greatly resembles modern-day society's views on Global Warming. The first-class passengers seemed untouchable aboard the ship, yet when it went down, roughly 123 first-class passengers went down with it. The same is true of the part of the wealthy population who doesn't believe in Global Warming. If the Earth crumbles, their stature goes with it, just as Officer Murdoch tells Cal at the end of the film, "your money can't save you anymore than it can save me."
Many fans of Titanic the ship are not fond of James Cameron's 1997 film because it focuses too much on the love story between Jack and Rose. Some recommend Roy Ward Baker's 1958 film A Night to Remember instead, as it highlights more of Titanic's history. However, what I believe these Titanic fans miss is the dedication James put into his movie. Noted that there was far more technology in 1997 than there was in the late 50s, and Titanic had been discovered on the ocean's floor 27 years after A Night To Remember's release, James engulfed himself in Titanic like I have never seen a filmmaker do before.
James visited Titanic 12 times while making his film (and has since gone a total of 33 times!) He also recreated the entire exterior of the ship, built the interior sets to a tee, and intertwined stories of historical figures into his made-up love story, showcasing his ability to mix his creativity and imagination with concrete facts (though he does admit he got a few things wrong.)
One thing he got right is one of my favorite scenes in Titanic. First Class passenger Elizabeth Lindsey Lines claims to have overheard Captain Edward Smith and the chairman and managing director of the White Star Line, Bruce Ismay, discussing lighting Titanic's last boilers so the ship could arrive early in New York, break records for its speed, and make headlines. Ismay certainly got his headlines though Titanic never made it to New York.Â
"Well, I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay."-Captain Smith, Titanic (1997)
What I love about this scene is that it displays what I believe about Titanic's sinking. It was not fate but the arrogance of one man and his obsession with success and attention. Had they been more focused on safety than speed, had they taken any of the iceberg warnings sent their way, Titanic may have made it to New York safely with no lives lost. Ismay lived the rest of his life in depression and shame after Titanic's sinking, which for him, was worse than dying on the ship.
"Do you know of Dr. Freud, Mr. Ismay? His ideas about the male preoccupation with size may be of particular interest to you" -Rose, Titanic (1997)
Unlike some who despise the Jack and Rose love story and would rather skip past it or watch a version of the film where all their scenes are cut out, and only the historical parts remain, there is a lot to learn from the Romeo and Juliet of 1912 and everyone in their worlds. I used to find the story a bit offensive. I hated that Rose was stuck in misery, engaged to a man she couldn't stand, and the only person who could save her from it was another man. While I still believe this message to be quite problematic, I have a deeper understanding now and see Rose as a fearless and strong female character despite any critics who might disagree.Â
Rose already was all the things that she became at the end of the film. She was already bold and brave. She was already outspoken and rebellious. She only needed someone to pull it out of her and show her how liberating life can be if she frees herself from the constraints her family has put upon her. Rose breaking free from the stereotypes for women at the time is also pretty empowering. When I look back, having Rose fall in love with the character who leads her to fulfill her true potential in life is beautiful. It also sends a powerful message about what women should accept in relationships, and no one should accept the kind of treatment Cal presents.
Cal may not possess one likable quality, but he is crucial to Titanic for more reasons than his role in Rose's life. Like Ismay, Cal represents the arrogance and entitlement that brought Titanic to the ocean floor. However, he also ties into the storyline taking place in the present-day when old Rose talks Brock Lovett and his crew through her experience on Titanic. The only reason Brock invited Rose to his ship is that he was determined to find the heart of the ocean, and he believed she knew where it was. He, like Ismay and Cal, was driven by greed.Â
By the end of Titanic, after Rose has told her story and after Brock learns about her love affair with Jack and the tragedy of losing him, he has a change of heart. Suddenly Titanic is no longer a sunken ship full of treasures with the potential to make him rich and famous, but a graveyard of lost lives at the hands of people just like him.
In a recent interview promoting the re-release of Titanic, James spoke of a change of perspective he had. When he was making Titanic, he was lost in excitement when going down to see it. However, in the interview, he revealed, "Now I look at the whole thing from a perspective of loss and grief and what the people went through that went into the water, what the people went through that survived and lived with survival guilt, what the families of the lost went through. I always say the Titanic is the safe tragedy because it happened 111 years ago now in 2023. It's got enough of a distance that we can see a window into tragedy and loss through it in kind of a slightly romanticized way instead of looking at the brutal horror of things…… it's going through that rollercoaster in a way that feels safe to people." This isn't too far off from the revelation Brock has, and it's more than likely that James saw a lot of himself in Bill Paxton's character.
My favorite part of movies is watching the main character evolve, and the best movies help you evolve with that character. Rose goes through quite the evolution in Titanic, and I can't help but resonate with her. No matter their circumstances, everyone has felt held back and constrained at some point in life. Watching Rose break free and live the life she chooses is inspirational.Â
In my opinion, James chose the most satisfying ending for the film. Rose seemingly goes to heaven to reunite with Jack, though James has always left it up to interpretation, with only him knowing the answer to if Rose has passed away or if she's dreaming. It's always seemed clear she passed away because before she meets Jack again, the camera pans over her photos, which she mentions at the start of the film. Her photos showcase all her life accomplishments, things she and Jack planned to do when the ship docked. While Jack passed away, Rose kept the promise she made him while he was still alive when they were awaiting the return of the lifeboats. Jack made her promise she'd go on in life and accomplish all her dreams and die an old lady warm in her bed. By the end of the film, it seems Rose has done just this. She experienced all she set out to achieve in life, and her final quest was telling her story. Once she did, she was ready to go.
Many don't know there was an alternate ending to Titanic where Brock sees Rose throwing the heart of the ocean off the boat and tries to stop her, but I'm glad James went with the other option. If he chose the alternative ending, that tells the audience Brock learned nothing and is still preoccupied with becoming rich and famous. This would have been a slap in the face to Rose, whose story was meant to move Brock and his crew and help them understand what really occurred from when Titanic set sail to when it reached the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Luckily, Brock did learn something. Brock proves he's learned Titanic is more than his opportunity for wealth and praise when he tells Rose's granddaughter, "Three years, I've thought of nothing except Titanic; but I never got it... I never let it in." But after Rose's story, he finally understands.Â
There's a reason Titanic was the highest-grossing movie for so many years and why fans still get excited whenever it returns to theaters. It's hard to explain all the emotion it evokes, and while Award shows don't always fairly honor films, it's no surprise it's tied with Ben-Hur (1959) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) as the most awarded film in Oscar history. No matter how many times I watch Titanic, I feel the same way I did the first time. I still feel moved.