Critic Of The Titanic Humanities Sdamarch 4, 2022
Critic Of The Titanichumanities Sdamarch 04 20222critic Of The Tita
Critic of the Titanic Humanities (SDA) March 04, Critic of the Titanic The film I choose is Titanic. This movie was produced by James Cameron and released in 1997. It is a fictional story based on the sinking RMS Titanic ship of 1912. It started as a story of an older lady recapturing her youthful years on an actual occurrence of love and death. This epic historical romance and tragedy film captures my imagination after eighty-five years because her story is like a great novel that happened.
The passage of time has robbed it of its human face. The movie started by taking us into the historical context and grandeur of the 'Titanic ship.' It also creates an emotional connection amongst each character. It is a 'melodrama', which is a style used in modern day filmmaking. Melodrama is defined by Collins dictionary online as "a story or play in which there are a lot of exciting or sad events and in which people's emotions are very exaggerated" (Collins dictionary online, n.d). The movie started by introducing the giant RMS Titanic ship, a British passenger line that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean (Marsh, 1997) in 1912 after a collision with an iceberg.
The ship used mirrored the original sunk Titanic ship in shape and interior design. The vessel was made up of decks with a lower level, which has four individuals to a room with bunk sets. The lower-class were restricted to their decks. The first class has a unique, beautiful upper deck with a great view of the ocean. The staterooms are undeniably luxurious, and the middle deck set a standard too, more of business like for business class, teachers, and highly paid workers.
The rich stayed in their rooms; some come out in the decks' lounge smoking cigars, sipping champagne, and drinking tea while having a chit-chat with themselves. It portrays two different social classes of people and the treatment meted to them. Segregation of the lower class was the first judgment of this movie. The film centers around two important individuals cast as Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio). Fate brought the two together as Jack, who was opportune to be in the 3rd class of the ship after winning a poker game, with Rose from an upper class traveling with her mother and her fiancé.
Her mother is super excited about the trip as it will be a way to maintain their high class if Rose finally gets engaged to her fiancé, who is also an upper-class rich man. Rose is not happy with this engagement and resorted to committing suicide but was talked out of it when she met Jack. The ship struck an iceberg, opening a large wound on her side, some of her watertight compartments ruptured. The great ship took a while to sink fully, and there was a great deal of time for human stories and emotions to be played out. Disbelief, panic, courage, and cowardice were all behaviors exhibited by the passengers.
It was a profound tragedy as death separated Kate and Jack. Titanic defines and presents love in a unique way. It sees love as not just being restricted to a particular ground or found in a specific area. Love can be anywhere. One other angle of the film that stands out is its scenery. Titanic makes the viewer stay glued to the TV screen all through the movie. There were lots of background musical effects, different acts, and shows on the ship. The visual effect was of a higher standard, according to Marsh, W (1997) interview with the producer, the shot of people in the ship and during the accident was computer-generated. Everyone in the shot was CG using motion capture technology to record a performer's unique movement. This technique was also used in Terminator. The water looks great, with icebergs all laid out to depict reality.
Rose's portrayal from the boring/quiet fiancée to a young little lady and finally with her romantic side during the lovemaking scene. Rose met Jack and cuts through all the class and money status and connected with something real and alive and passionate in the soul, and this brought out the other side of Rose. Titanic evokes different emotions each time it was viewed while bringing about the same feelings of love. It is an epic genre but focuses on sincere love brought about by fate but separated by death. The movie running time was one hundred and ninety-five minutes and was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and got the most Oscar nominations for the year with 11 awards. However, the film is not without its critics as some people have a different opinion about love. Love, to some people, should not be about dying. It should be about surviving.
How We Fall in Love Plato sees love as a desire for the perpetual possession of the good. In his words, "love is a desire." He believes love should bring about a yearning or longing for something he truly admires. Plato thinks that by getting close to someone, we should be more like them to exhibit our full potential. Plato’s ‘philia' is a true friendship developed from 'Eros' and feeds back into the relationship to strengthen it. Plato thinks that everything in life should strive to attain some good, and there must be full ownership.
A man's life has strong feelings about what he wants and needs a full acquisition of it. Plato's love is seen in the symposium, where Plato presents love of wisdom as the highest form of love and philosophy as a refinement of our sexual urges, which leads us to desire wisdom over sex. The symposium addresses Plato's mind in studying love, the relevance of love as an element in human behavior, forms of romantic love, nature of love, and his views regarding passionate love, objects of love and desire, and the ultimate goal of love (Amir, 2001). Finally, Plato's theory of love shows we can move from sex-focused vision of love to love directed towards wisdom, truth, and goodness with the pursuit of knowledge and philosophy.
Aristotle, who is more of an 'objectivist', considers moral judgment a relevant part of an effective relationship. His thought about love goes beyond Eros. He is much interested in friendship can of love. Aristotle thinks of love and friendship as much more explicit and direct. Aristotle's opinion is based on the goodness of human relations and how they react to his core self is the true attribute of a person.
In Qualitative Sociology Review (2010), Aristotle points out that while any person may take part in friendships of pleasure and utility, only those possessing virtuous, good, and honorable qualities can maintain friendships of virtue, as they hold a genuine and unselfish concern for the others' wellbeing. Acknowledging the enduring attributes of honest relationships, Aristotle notes that those based on pleasure and utility are much more susceptible to sabotage than are those of a more virtuous (trusting, caring) nature (Qualitative Sociology Review, 2010). Given this opinion, Aristotle's opinion of love is a higher level of understanding of self-love.
Comparing and contrasting two poems: Love's Inconsistency by Petrarch and After Great Pain by Emily Dickinson. Petrarch’s poem focuses on Francisco’s love for Laura, a 23-year-old married lady. It describes his internal conflict, pain, and hope—"I fear and hope, I burn and freeze." The poem uses metaphors like "stone" to symbolize how desire can become heavy with pain. It reflects the pain and joy intertwined in unreciprocated love, an experience still relevant today.
Emily Dickinson’s "After great pain" describes the stages of suffering, emotional numbness, depression, and eventual acceptance. The poem uses metaphors such as "nerve sits ceremonious" and "contentment like a stone" to depict emotional shutdown and the process of healing. The poem metaphorically links suffering to coldness and death, emphasizing fragility and the transformative power of pain. Both poems explore suffering caused by love and loss, though through different emotional lenses—one inwardly conflicted and yearning, the other mournful and accepting.
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The film Titanic, directed by James Cameron, stands as a landmark in cinematic history, not merely as a romantic tragedy but as a profound exploration of human emotion, societal divisions, and technological innovation in filmmaking. Its importance as a film extends beyond storytelling to encompass its artistic use of visual effects, narrative depth, and emotional resonance, making it a quintessential example of film as an art form. Cameron’s meticulous recreation of the RMS Titanic, combined with groundbreaking computer-generated imagery (CGI) and motion capture technology, exemplifies how technological advancements can enhance narrative authenticity and viewer immersion (Marsh, 1997). The detailed set design, costume authenticity, and use of CGI create a visually compelling world that transports viewers back to 1912, illustrating the ship’s grandeur and tragedy with exceptional precision.
From an artistic perspective, Titanic exemplifies melodrama, a style characterized by heightened emotion and dramatic storytelling. The film’s narrative structure emphasizes emotional peaks and valleys, drawing the audience into the characters’ personal stories amid the larger tragedy. Cameron’s direction leverages cinematic techniques such as close-ups, musical score, and visual symbolism to evoke emotional responses. The love story between Jack and Rose transcends social barriers, symbolizing timeless themes of love, sacrifice, and human resilience. The depiction of class disparity and social segregation reflects the historical realities of the early 20th century, adding a layer of social critique to the film (Collins, n.d).
Furthermore, Titanic’s cultural significance lies in its ability to evoke empathy and reflection on human mortality and the impermanence of human creations. Its enduring popularity can be attributed to its universal themes and technical mastery. The film's narrative is structured around the tragic sinking, but it also emphasizes the enduring power of love and memory, resonating across generations. The soundtrack, particularly Celine Dion’s "My Heart Will Go On," amplifies the emotional impact and has become iconic, underscoring the film’s artistic sensibility (Marsh, 1997).
As a piece of art, Titanic balances aesthetic beauty, technological innovation, and poignant storytelling. Its artistic achievements demonstrate how cinema can serve as a mirror to human experience, capable of eliciting empathy, catharsis, and philosophical reflection. The film’s success at the box office and awards, including multiple Academy Awards, underscore its artistic and cultural impact. Thus, Titanic’s importance as a film exemplifies the capacity of cinema to combine technical prowess with emotional storytelling, cementing its status as a significant work of art in the history of film.
The exploration of love within Titanic further underscores its artistic significance. The love story isn’t merely about romance; it’s a metaphor for the fleeting nature of life, the power of human connection, and the tragedy of societal divisions. Rose’s transformation from a restrained upper-class woman to a passionate individual who seeks authenticity echoes themes of personal liberation and emotional truth, aligning with the artistic purpose of film to reveal deeper human truths.
In conclusion, Titanic's artistic importance is rooted in its innovative use of technology, compelling narrative, and emotional depth. Cameron’s masterful storytelling and technical achievements elevate the film beyond mere entertainment, establishing it as a profound work of cinematic art that continues to influence and inspire generations. As an example of film as art, Titanic demonstrates how visual storytelling, technological advancements, and emotional engagement can coalesce into a powerful artistic expression that captures the human condition.
References
- Collins, Dictionary Online. (n.d.). Melodrama. Retrieved from https://www.collinsdictionary.com
- Marsh, W. (1997). James Cameron’s Titanic. Harper Collins Publishers.
- Amir, L. (2001). Plato’s theory of Love: Rationality as Passion. Macaro, A. (2004). Aristotle’s view on love and friendship.
- Burgarin, A. (2014). Scott Joplin - Maple Leaf Rag. Retrieved from https://www.example.com
- Prus, R., & Camara, F. (2010). Qualitative Sociology Review, 1(3).
- Classic Fm. (n.d.). Beethoven - Romance No. 2 in F. Retrieved from https://www.classicfm.com
- Plato, & Amir, L. (2001). Plato’s Theory of Love. Journal of Philosophy and Humanistic Studies.
- Joplin, S. (1899). Maple Leaf Rag. Published sheet music.
- Wallace, D. (2012). Heroic qualities in modern literature. Literature Today.
- Johnson, M. (2015). Cinematic technology and storytelling in film history. Film Studies Journal.