Warning: Movie Spoilers Ahead
Warning: Mass Death, Suicide
I decided that I cannot do a movie blog with a romance genre and not talk about the iconic Titanic (1997). This film is a masterpiece for a multitude of reasons, the first one being: its run time of 3 hours, 26 minutes is exactly how long it took for the actual ship to sink. This minute detail alone shows the considerable amount of effort that the cast and crew took to pay homage to the survivors and respect to the dead.
Secondly, this film is one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s groundbreaking roles that launched him into such a massively successful career. After all, who doesn’t love Jack? He’s sweet and romances Rose from their first meeting, when he persuades her to not commit suicide. While the audience knows that there is an enormous disaster coming - the film is indeed about the sinking of the infamous ship - the story of Jack and Rose is a sweet love story that slowly unfolds. They cross class boundaries to be together, and in the end they reunite in the safety of the afterlife. As Dan NiCola, of The Daily Gazette, puts it “[Titanic is] one of the greatest disaster films ever and certainly the one truly genuine blockbuster movie of the '90s.”
If I had to complain about Titanic, it would be the same complaint most viewers have echoed: Jack should have fit on the door. For any readers who don’t know what I mean, let me explain. Towards the end of the film, the ship hits the iceberg and begins to sink. Our lovers, Jack and Rose, fight to end up together, determined to survive or sink with one another. There are no more lifeboats and they get knocked off the ship. In their desperation, they find a ship door that’s floating and use it as a makeshift lifeboat. They both try to fit, but it keeps flipping. The solution? Jack gets off the door, making Rose promise that she will survive this. Then? Then Jack freezes to death. Heartbreaking. The issue here? The door WAS big enough to fit and support them both. I think this was an oversight on props rather than an actual issue, as it’s clear that this death was important to the film, but many viewers have complained that Jack should have survived too, and I can’t help but join them.
What do you think - should he have fit and survived? Watch it and let me know in the comments!
NiCola, Dan. “Titanic.” The Daily Gazette. 1997 December. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KkNGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RukMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3421%2C5132415
I first want to say that this is one of my favorite movie! But I agree with you. Jack could've fit on the door. All it would've taken was them rearranging the way they laid on the door. But even if he did fit, I still believe they would die due to the weather and lack of resources.
ReplyDeleteIt's a real pleasure to watch this movie, I feel this emotion that rises up my body every time, a real pleasure to see it again and read this post about it. What a beautiful love story. This movie will forever be etched in our memories.
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