Eugene Lee (Janelle)

Professor Frances McCue

Honors 205
November 12, 2014
Word Count: 1058
The Demise of the Titanic, 1912

The film Titanic, released in 1997, was a sensational success. Primarily known for
the romance between its two main characters, Jack and Rose, Titanic is looked upon as
one of the most outstanding film productions of all time. However, aside from the
romance, one of the films key purposes is to illustrate the sinking of the British
passenger liner RMS Titanic, which took place in April 1912. The ship plunged into the
North Atlantic Ocean after clashing into an iceberg, failing to reach its destination at New
York City and bringing down with it the lives of more than 1,500 people (Titanic). In
the decades following its downfall, the RMS Titanic inspired many books and films, a
notable one of which was the 1997 film Titanic. At the time of its release, the movie was
heralded as one of the most historically accurate versions of the catastrophic accident
(Von Tunzelmann). Although there are many fictional components interwoven
throughout the movie, the film Titanic is more or less grounded in history and many of its
details are representative of the actual tragedy of the RMS Titanic.
Mirroring the actual event, Titanic is set in April 1912 when the Titanic, the most
luxurious passenger ship in the world, sets out for New York City from Britain. The story
centers around the love story of Jack Dawson, a penniless American artist, and Rose
DeWitt Bukater, a wealthy English woman engaged against her wish to a millionaire. The
two meet on the ship and deepen their love, until, of course, the tragic night when the
ship sinks and Jack meets his death in the freezing water (Titanic). Their romance, a

central component of the movie, is in fact fictional (Titanic Movie vs. Titanic History).
However, a love story, especially one that ends with the death of one of the lovers, plays
a significant role in conveying the theme of human loss and the emotional message of the
disaster.
Efforts were made to ensure that costumes and sets would be as realistic and as
representative of the historical setting as possible. Much research went into the actors
costumes to match the attire of the time period. Also, most of the underwater shots of the
Titanic wreckage were taken at the actual historical site. Director James Cameron hired a
Russian vessel and its submersibles to dive into the North Atlantic and film the close-up
shots. However, due to limited resources and technologyeach 15-hour-dive could only
capture 12 minutes of footagenot all of the underwater shots in the movie could be
completely authentic (Titanic Movie vs. Titanic History).
Several scenes in the film are accurate representations of what actually happened
during the sinking of the Titanic. For instance, the Titanics band in fact continued to
play as the ship went down, as the movie depicts (Titanic). The leader of the band, a 33year-old violinist named Wallace Hartley, assembled his eight-man band and started
playing on the boat deck when he heard that the ship had struck an iceberg (Titanic
Movie vs. Titanic History). It is significant that the movie highlights this part of the
night because it brings to light the bravery and dedication of the band to be able to play
music until the end.
Moreover, the movie shows Captain Smith of the Titanic entering the bridge of
the ship and grasping the steering wheel moments before water crashes in, presumably
drowning him (Titanic). This scene is based on Robert Ballards account of the Titanic in

his book The Discovery of the Titanic. The truth of it is supported by the testimonies of
some of the Titanic survivors who claim to have seen Captain Smith go into the bridge
area. However, testimonies vary across survivors, from having seen the captain out of the
ship wearing a life jacket to having witnessed him shoot himself in the head (Titanic
Movie vs. Titanic History). Factual or not, the movie Titanics portrayal of Captain
Smith suggests a more commendable character than any other observation would,
inducing the viewers to regard the tragedy of the Titanic in a generally more positive
light than they would otherwise.
Furthermore, towards the end of the movie, an old couple can be seen embracing
in bed as water floods into their room (Titanic). Like this couple, some passengers chose
to stay on the ship as it sank. The elderly couple on the bed represents Isador and Ida
Straus, first class passengers on the RMS Titanic who refused to take open spots on a
lifeboat to let others, specifically women, escape first. The two chose to stay together
until the end, remaining seated on a pair of deck chairsnot lying in bed like in the
movieas the ship went down (Titanic Movie vs. Titanic History). The films close
representation of the actions of people such as Isador and Ida Straus helps illuminate the
occasional occurrences of true humanity and selflessness in the midst of chaos and
anguish.
Lastly, near the very end of the movie after Jacks death, Rose is rescued from the
water by a lifeboat (Titanic). Such rescue work was in fact done by two of the sixteen
lifeboats of the RMS Titanic. In the actual event in 1912, a lifeboat headed by Fifth
Officer Harold Lowe rescued four survivors from the water, one of who unfortunately
died in the lifeboat. Another lifeboat was able to pull five people out of the water, but two

of them did not make it alive (Titanic Movie vs. Titanic History). In the 1997 film, it is
Officer Lowes boat that saves Rose (Titanic). The movie, in including the rescue scene,
brings attention to key figures like Officer Lowe who played an important role in
maximizing the number of survivors by salvaging even the last remaining lives.
The movie Titanic, a fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in
April 1912, closely depicts the details of the historical event by arranging the setting to be
as consistent with reality as possible and by incorporating scenes that mirror key
components of the event. Yet, apart from the matter of historical accuracy, the film
doubtlessly succeeded in raising public awareness of the massive scale and toll of the
1912 disaster, helping to make it one of the most commendable cinematographic pieces
in American film history.

Citations:
1. Titanic. Dir. James Cameron. 20th Century Fox, 1997.
2. Titanic. History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2014.
3. Titanic Movie vs. Titanic History. ChasingtheFrog.com. CTF Media, n.d. Web.
06 Nov. 2014.
4. Von Tunzelmann, Alex. "Reel History: Titanic." The Guardian. Guardian News
and Media Limited, 3 July 2008. Web. 05 Nov. 2014.