The hit movie “Titanic” was released once again to theaters last Wednesday to celebrate and honor the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the actual Titanic. This time, viewers had the opportunity to watch the movie in 3D. The experience and the intensity only heightened as the 3D format brought the night to life once again. Like the release of the movie in 1997, “Titanic” did well in the box office. On opening night, the movie made $4.3 million, close behind the popular and currently leading movie, “The Hunger Games,” which made $4.6 million.
As a kid who grew up in the 1990s, I feel that “Titanic” has made a large impact on my generation. Much like the shows and toys we all remember with nostalgia, “Titanic” holds a special place in the hearts of many. For me, this movie was the first PG-13 I was allowed to see in theaters. Many of my friends had mentioned the car scene or the drawing scene was the first time they experienced anything so graphic. It was also the first time they saw something so distressing, like watching passengers jump off the ship to their death or the floating bodies in the water.
Because of our great appreciation for the film, my friends and I went to see “Titanic” last Thursday night. Although the movie was just as amazing as it once was, I noticed my change of perspective towards the plot and characters as I have aged. Things I once did not understand seemed to be made clear and humorous on the big screen.
First, as a child I did not understand the importance of the Titanic. Now that I have learned the history behind this ship, my sympathy for the passengers was incredibly intensified. Maybe because the movie was in 3D, or because I now can imagine how terribly cold and frightening that experience must have been, the sinking of the ship was very uncomfortable for me. I found myself very tense and wishing we could go back to when Jack and Rose were happy together instead of in distress and swimming around breaking handcuffs with axes in below freezing water.
I also noticed that I understood much of the humor and relevance of the conversation of the passengers. I chuckled when Rose said the woman is “in a delicate condition,” as I had never caught what that meant before. The movie also showed how women’s rights were slowly emerging; yet the ideals were still ingrained within the people of the time. I noticed Rose’s mother telling other women that there was no point in Rose going to a university when she had already found a suitable husband. Or when Cal screams and throws the table at Rose because she was misbehaving was not seen as anything out of the ordinary.
Although the plot line of the movie was absolutely amazing and completely allows you to forget where you are, I realized how so much of the love story seemed unrealistic. It is amazing how willing Rose is to risk her life for a man she has only known for 24 hours. Rose also tells Jack she loves him when they are floating in the water. Jack does not reply that he loves her back, but instead tells her that she will continuing living and implies that he will not. I had always been sad that Jack had died before because I assumed the two would have gotten married and lived happily ever after if he survived. Now it seems that Jack and Rose would have gotten bored with each other and found partners that seemed more suitable to their social classes. I now realize that for the plot to develop effectively, Jack needed to die in order for Rose to continue on her life and pursue her own dreams.
Although my perspective of the movie has changed, it still continued to amaze me. It is no wonder that “Titanic” is considered a classic. It successfully creates a heart-wrenching love story in an action and terror that is hard to believe was once a reality for thousands of innocent people. I strongly encourage everyone to see the movie for the first time or once again. If not for the story, at least you can pine over the young Leonardo DiCaprio like I did.
— Samantha Trueheart is a sophomore in communications. She can be reached at struehea@utk.edu.
