A Review of Titanic(1997)
This movie has gained expectional popularity not only in the United States, but also worldwide for its dramatic effects of setting drawn from actual events, and the fictional story in which human conflits are portrayed. By reviewing this film based on historical events and literary genre, we can widen our scope of appreciating film as a form literature.
History Background:
Titanic was manufactured by the British White Star Line Company in 1911. The specifications of this finished luxury liner are: Gross tonnage of 46,238; Length, 883 feet: Beam 9width of a ship at its widest part), 93 feet; Draught(the depth to which the vessel is immersed), 34feet; Total passenger & crew, 3547; and
Life boats, 20. The ship was so strong and huge that people called her as "The Unsinkable" or "The Ship of Dream."
Titanic set off its maiden voyage, carrying more than 2,222 passengers, from the docks of Southampton, England, in early April, 1912. Unfortunately, the voyage turned out to be the last one for many passengers, crew, and herself, when she struck an iceberg about 153km south of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland while heading for New York. On April 14, 1912, she was swallowed by the sea in less than 3 hours, and even though there was enough room for half of the passenger in the lifeboats, the people panicked and loaded the boats themselves. They filled the boats much less than because they worried about being crowed. As a result, out the 2,222 passenger, 1513 persons perished in the fresing ocean water.
Titnic is now at the bottom of the sea, but the dreadful occurrences of April 14,1912 still live on the memories of the survivors and the loved ones of those perished. One of the survivors, Ms Eva Hart sais, "The sound of people drowing is something I cannot describe to you and neither can anyone else. It is most dreadful sound and then there is dreadful silence that follows it." Mr. Charles Lighttoller, the survived 2nd Officer, descibes, "Slowly she reared up on end until at last she was absolutely perpendicular. Then quite quitely but quicjer and quicker, she disaster known as "Titanic."
Based on these historical facts, James Cameron and his associates used these events as dramatic settings for the movie industry. The movie released in the United States as od December 17, 1997, became so successful that it broke all previous bos office records. Beside, the movie won Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture(Drama); Jame Came as Best Director; James Horner as Best Original Score; James Horner as Best Original Song; and, the features and cast are as follows :
Director : James Cameron.
Producers : James Cameron & Jon Landau.
Cast : Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, a poor young artist:
Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater, a young woman:
Billy Zane as Cal Hockly, a socialite, fiance of Rose;
Frances Fisher as Ruth Dewitt Bukater, Rose's mother
Gloria Stuart as elderly Rose;
Bill Paxton as Brock Lovett, treasure hunter
Features : Running Time: 3 hous 14minutes
U.S. Distributor: Paramount Pictures
