Titanic is a popular film that received acclaim from the industry and the audience. It was a colossal and unprecedented success upon the release, and it took more than a decade for another work by Cameron to overtake it. Although some consider the film overrated, its long-lasting impact and universal appeal attest to the quality. Those would be impossible without strong themes, memorable characters, and an engaging narrative.
Titanic’s prominent themes include love, social inequality, and self-sacrifice, all tangled in a tragic event that resonated with many people by itself. The story concerns a love triangle involving two engaged members of the high society and a young man of low status. While the idea is not novel, the setting refreshes it and makes the dynamic of the relationship. Despite being short-lived, the feelings are genuine, and the final departure is rather emotional. The theme of social and financial inequality in a relationship remains relevant to new generations, although it has different manifestations nowadays. Meanwhile, almost all characters sacrifice something in the film, including their lives. It is an emboldening experience that makes the audience consider the value of what they hold dear. Overall, the themes of Titanic are effective due to their universality, lasting relevance, and emotional execution.
Titanic has a vast cast of characters, some of which existed in real life, but the focus is on the three fictional ones which comprise the love triangle mentioned before. Rose is an adventurous and somewhat fearless young woman who feels constrained by her elevated social status, reminiscent of classic literary works. Her infatuation with a low-class artist, Jack, invigorates her and enables her defiance of the family and fiancé. Both men are each other’s opposites, and it is fascinating to witness Cal’s jealousy unfold in the middle of the disaster. However, he realized that he had lost Rose’s heart forever, and he does some benevolent actions before exiting the scene. Meanwhile, Jack enjoys a loving and understanding relationship with Rose and later willingly sacrifices his life for her, fully aware that she will have someone else after him. Altogether, the characters are vivid, believable, and easily earn the audience’s sympathy or wrath.
Titanic has an engaging narrthat which contributed to the story’s overall strength. The film has a frame structure, starting and ending in the present, with the main events happening in the past. It provides a feeling of realism and proves to be especially effective at the end when we see the main heroine aged and regretful, and the ambiguity of her fate also intrigues the audience. The act of parting with the necklace could indicate Rose’s resolution to leave the events behind, but they seemed so important to her life that they could equal death. Interestingly, Jack managed to predict the circumstances of her passing, or his words left such a powerful impact on Rose that she decided to live accordingly. No matter the truth, the narrative devices enhance the themes and make the audience sympathize with the characters.
Summarizing everything, Titanic is an example of a filled hatch that won universal acclaim through the box office and numerous awards. Its achievements are based on the work’s immortal themes, striking characters, and narrative which supports them. Perhaps, other films surpass Titanic in those aspects, but what made it unique is the combination of the elements which transformed the film into an ultimate romance story in cinema.