Just about everyone on the planet is familiar with the tragedy of the Titanic in 1912. Part of that familiarity must surely be attributed to James Cameron’s film, Titanic. It was the highest-grossing film ever until 2010.
There were many factors that contributed to its success. But at the heart of it, James Cameron managed to combine a memorable event in history, a captivating love story and a moving soundtrack.
The Titanic in History
Titanic provides a snapshot of an especially interesting time in European history. During a period when the advancement in technology was progressing seemingly unhindered and in leaps and bounds, it now seems inevitable that the dream makers were also courting spectacular disaster.
Titanic was regarded at that time, as an unsinkable ship (Gannon, 1995). Yet, the loss of 1500 lives on the maiden voyage of the largest passenger vessel of the time, was a timely reminder that advances in shipbuilding technology had not always been matched by the understanding of the materials used in the industry (Bassett, 1998).
The hope, ambition and arrogance of the period between the Second Industrial Revolution and the golden age is reflected in many of the scenes in the film. These include the scenes where Molly Brown asks Mr. Ismay how he thought of the name Titanic, and the scene where Thomas Andrews explains to Rose, why there are only enough lifeboats for half the passengers.
The film also provides interesting insights into class differences and the role of women in Edwardian England. Nothing speaks louder about class structure in the film, than the first class dogs being walked on the third class decks.
And as for the roles of first class women during this period, Rose’s entire character and motive for loving Jack are continually illustrated by the numerous amount of scenes in which she struggles against her stifled upbringing and the promise of a predictable, meaningless future.
A Titanic Love Story
What greater recipe for movie success could there be than a love story set amongst one of the most tragic and dramatic events of the early twentieth century? Not just any love story would do. Jack and Rose’s fictional love story aboard the Titanic is movie magic because audiences love it when fate steps in and makes the impossible possible.
We love the idea that things happen for a reason, just as we hate the idea that things happen just because we are lucky or unlucky. We much prefer to think that it’s destiny that puts Jack just in the right place to catch his first glimpse of Rose as she’s standing by the railing on the upper deck. And then by the time Jack is laying out on a deckchair under the stars that very same night, we know it’s meant to be when Rose runs crying past him on her way to throw herself off the back of the ship.
Almost every woman (and possibly man) remembers his or her first love or true love. We also acknowledge that not every first love or true love endures. Things happen, people die, people change, people are parted for a million different reasons. Even if our own first or true love didn’t endure, we love the confirmation that true love exists, that sometimes others find it even when we don’t, and that love can endure beyond death and throughout time. Jack and Rose’s love story embodies all these aspects.
An Award Winning Titanic Soundtrack
Sometimes it’s not just the script alone that reduces you to tears, it is the soundtrack – not because it’s awful, but because it’s so moving that it takes you to that place beyond dignity and reason. The hauntingly beautiful Titanic soundtrack sold over 30 million copies and became one of the best-selling albums of all time.
From the music that plays during the opening footage of the 1912 departure of the Titanic through to the music that plays in the closing scenes of the film, it’s the ability of the Titanic’s musical score to heighten your emotions and help you connect to the images that makes the soundtrack so memorable.
Music that stays with you long after a film has finished is surely the mark of a good soundtrack. Celine Dion sings the love theme of Titanic. Entitled My Heart Will Go On, it topped charts around the world and won a 1997 Academy Award for Best Original Song.
A Titanic Success
A classic film is one that you can watch over and over again as if it were the first time. Of course this differs from person to person. However, the enormous success of James Cameron’s 1997 film, Titanic, is proof that there is a recipe for success. This involves setting a unique love story amongst a tragic and dramatic backdrop and then adding an award-winning soundtrack to seal the deal.
Sources
Gannon, Robert, "What Really Sank the Titanic," Popular Science, vol. 246, no. 2 (February 1995), pp. 49-55.
Bassett, Vicki, “Causes and Effects of the Rapid Sinking of the Titanic,” Undergraduate Engineering Review, University of Wisconsin (1998).
Join the Conversation