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Chapter 3 : Conclusion

Titanic" is a cinematic masterpiece that weaves together history, romance, and tragedy.

It reminds us of the fragility of human life and the power of love in the face of adversity. The

film's stunning visuals, memorable characters, and timeless score by James Horner have made it

an enduring classic that continues to captivate audiences worldwide. "Titanic" remains a

poignant reminder of the real-life tragedy that occurred in 1912 and the enduring human spirit

that persists even in the face of disaster.

Gaylyn Studlar published a review of the Titanic movie in 2003, and he discussed its

impact on “cinematic presence and monumental history,” and analyzed how particular scenes in

the movie served as symbols for the greater historical context of the disaster. He stated, “This

projection could be denigrated as a process that almost inevitably involves a perversion of

history, for viewers’ historical recognition becomes conflated with or replaced by emotional

allegiance or psychological identification with fictional characters,” (Studlar, 2003, 100). While

it is true that the film romanticized the disaster and added in fictitious elements to keep the

modern audience engaged, emotional allegiance and psychological recognition are not

necessarily negative feelings to have towards a retelling of a disaster. Instead, emotional

investment can further one’s connection to the event, even if one were not present at the time.

This has enabled people to continue to envision, study, and reflect on the disaster over a century

after it took place.

A key impact of the film was that it gave people a sense of emotional connection to

the disaster, which in turn, made it more memorable than disasters that are not depicted in

popular culture. For example, in the Titanic film, Jack and Rose are star-crossed lovers and the
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viewer watches their doomed romance play out throughout the film. The opening scene shows

the real Titanic in its final underwater resting place, signaling to the viewer that its premise

surrounds a real-life disaster. The viewer follows Jack and Rose through their journey of love as

they are aware of their ultimate fate, but the forbidden romance between the third-class man and

the first-class woman remains engaging and heart wrenching, nonetheless. As the viewer takes

on this journey with Jack and Rose, they bear witness to the tragically impossible decision that

men and women faced in the disaster, where women were forced to choose between life alone or

death with their significant other. As Rose boarded her lifeboat, she was overcome with the love

she felt for Jack and decided she would rather be with him and risk her life than make it to safety

alone, so she jumped out of the lifeboat and found her way to Jack once again. In this harrowing

decision, the viewer feels the pain of the impossible choices that passengers were forced to face,

lending themselves to tragic endings regardless. This is something that a newspaper article or

interview could never do justice (Cameron, 1997).

While the film is not a “source of historical instruction” (Studlar, 2003, 100) it

provides visual representations of the historical context at the time which stretch beyond the

movie or even the disaster itself. These scenes and moments reflect the social milieu that

inevitably contributed to the devastation of the event. For example, in the midst of the chaotic

rush to lifeboats, Cameron’s film depicted third class passengers locked behind gates and

guarded by crew members, unable to even make an attempt at securing a spot on one of the boats

(Cameron, 1997). There is contestation surrounding the accuracy of this scene in particular, as

survivor’s stories (such as that from Beesley, 1912, for example) do not recall third-class

passengers being gated off from a chance at survival. However, there were certainly differential

effects that took place on the Titanic. Even if third-class passengers were not locked in the ship
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itself, their cabin locations and lack of access to information proved devastating for their chances

of survival (Levinson, 2012, 151). The film depicted these class distinctions rather jarringly,

which enabled the viewer to understand the social context of the time (which was one that was

highly segregated along class lines), and clearly showed the tragic effects of class segregation in

a time of crisis. This is important for the idea of disaster memory because many disasters share

similar characteristics, such as the presence of disproportionate effects. The memory of the

Titanic disaster would not be fully complete without the differential treatments based on class,

and in this case, Cameron’s movie allowed these effects to be on display for the world to watch

and learn from.

According to Cameron, the film sparked lasting effects in terms of how the

disaster is remembered. In a 1997 interview, he stated, “The great lesson of Titanic for us, going

into the 21st century is that the inconceivable CAN happen. Those people lived in a time of

certainty; they felt they had mastered everything—mastered nature and mastered themselves. But

they had mastered neither. A thousand years from now Titanic will still be one of the great

stories,” (Elbert, 1997, 3). The sense of invincibility to disasters has not been unique to the

Titanic, but rather the idea that man can conquered all has prevailed into modern times,

especially with growing technological advancements. Cameron’s film stands as a humbling

reality that disaster can strike anyone, anytime and anywhere, regardless of how prepared one

may feel. Viewers witness the shock, heartbreak and tragedy that followed the sinking of a ship

that was a modern glory of its time, which served as a reminder of how man is not immune to

future disasters either. The film, therefore, has made for a particularly salient way of

remembering the Titanic’s sinking, because it blatantly showed the implications of invincibility.
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This has and will remain relevant for future generations to be wary of all possible disasters, no

matter how impossible they may seem.

The depiction of the Titanic disaster in Cameron’s 1997 film has furthered fascination and

engagement with the disaster over one hundred years after it took place. Although it contains

fictitious elements, the film has brought to life the tragedy of the event which has been an

integral part of the way it is remembered. With the emotional connection that it has brought to

viewers along with the rendering of the greater context in which the disaster took place, it has

stood as a successful mechanism for remembering the fragility of human lives and technology.

In the end, the film has helped people remember and connect with the disaster, which is

necessary if lessons are ever to be taken from it.

Titanic's unique blend of drama, action, tragedy, romance, and

history makes the film a timeless phenomenon appealing to many audiences. Even 25 years later,

the glorious sequences of the Titanic sailing in daylight and the ship's harrowing descent beneath

the waves likely won't ever appear dated. Furthermore, the capitulation of what once was the

world's largest man-made moving object will never cease to fascinate people — even more than

a century later.

While any well-made romance movie can eternally capture an audience's heart,

Titanic's multifaceted approach to storytelling renders its narrative remarkably timeless, as the

significance of Rose's story persists due to society's continuous assault on women's

self-autonomy around the world today. As much in 2022 as it was in 1997, Titanic remains a

cinematic masterpiece.
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In 1998, Titanic earned 14 Academy Award nominations and won 11

Oscars, including Best Picture. Titanic's success in the late 1990s was undeniable, but its real

achievement lies in its enduring cultural impact. After its release, Cameron's film skyrocketed to

the worldwide box office's top spot, remaining for 15 consecutive weeks. As a result, Titanic

became the first movie to gross $1 billion and the world's highest-earning title for 12 years.

Today, Titanic ranks as the third-highest-grossing film of all time, with a profit of roughly $2.2

billion.

Winslet and DiCaprio's spellbinding performances cemented Rose and Jack as

iconic movie characters and propelled the remarkable careers the two actors have built since.

Titanic's famous scenes associated with the lines "I'm flying, Jack," "I want you to draw me like

one of your French girls," and "I'll never let go" are instantly recognizable for many and often

referenced in relation to the film. Furthermore, the age-old debate over whether Jack could have

survived by joining Rose on the floating debris continues to this day.

It's impossible to name a more renowned original song than Celine Dion's

"My Heart Will Go On," a ballad that won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song

and four Grammys. Titanic's influence on the world has not faltered over the last 25 years. While

the Titanic disaster was already an eminent historical event, Cameron's film turned it into a

cultural phenomenon.