In 1997, I was 12 years old when I went to the cinema to watch James Cameron's "Titanic," a colossal film that promised to provide viewers with never-before-seen images of the Titanic resting at the bottom of the ocean and extraordinary special effects to depict on the big screen the unexpected tragedy of the sinking of what was, in 1912, the largest and most luxurious ship ever built by man.
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No one expected that the film would tell one of the most intense and moving love stories in the history of cinema.
At eighty-four years old, Rose's heart still beats strongly, and her eyes fill with tears as she recounts to her granddaughter and a team of skeptical scientists what happened to her on the Titanic. That tragic night not only sank the ship but also her dream of love: at the bottom of the ocean lies a life she couldn't live.
The bourgeois Rose was seventeen years old when she boarded the Titanic in April 1912 but feels like she's being imprisoned. Her family is facing severe financial difficulties, and she has been promised in marriage to a wealthy but arrogant and violent man, Caledon Hockley. Rose knows she must sacrifice herself to save her family's honor and financial situation, and her mother emphasizes that this is her duty as a woman.
On the ship, she meets Jack Dawson, a poor artist living by his wits but with a noble spirit. The two young people belong to different social classes but fall in love. She admires him for his resourcefulness, courage, and zest for life, enjoying the beauty around them. He sees in her a beautiful, educated, intelligent woman with the ability to make her own choices and live the life she truly desires. He cannot bear to see such a wonderful woman forced into the arms of a man capable only of subjugating and mistreating her, extinguishing her light forever.
There is a scene in which she is still uncertain about whether it's better to marry the man she's been promised to, adhering to social conventions and assuming the role of wife and mother assigned to her. She contemplates her family's well-being and the idea of not acting selfishly. Jack takes her to the gym and confronts her, not expressing physical desire or possession but making her understand that her life is immensely valuable, and she cannot throw it away like that. He encourages her to reflect on what it means to extinguish her inner light and condemn herself to unhappiness. This scene is significant because Jack shows that loving someone doesn't mean possessing them but rather desiring their happiness, regardless of one's own interests and impulses.
On the other hand, Rose falls in love with Jack, despite his lack of wealth and absence of money or diamonds to offer her. She realizes that he can provide her with something much more precious: his entire self and the promise to love her forever. Rose understands that Jack loves her genuinely, and the two young people decide that as soon as the Titanic reaches New York, they will run away together. In the meantime, they plan everything they want to do in their future together.
Unfortunately, the ship sinks. Jack tries in every way to save Rose and himself because he desires to live with her the life they had planned with so much hope. The ocean swallows the ship and Jack as well, sacrificing his life to save Rose's without hesitation. Before dying, he asks Rose to promise him that she will experience all the things they had planned together and that she won't throw her life away by marrying someone who doesn't truly love her. Jack asks Rose to live for him too because he will always be in her heart and dreams; he will never abandon her.
Here the film shows us that love surpasses every barrier, even that which separates the living from the dead, and that the words of the people we have loved and the feelings we have felt for them, even if they are no longer with us, continue to guide our steps, and they never stop loving us. Death doesn't separate the two young lovers; instead, it unites them even more because a part of Rose is with Jack at the bottom of the ocean, while Jack continues to live through Rose, who embodies all his vital spirit and ideals.
For me, who was only 12 years old when I watched it, seeing this film represented an important moment for my emotional education because I understood that I should be with someone who could love me genuinely and selflessly like Jack and that, like Rose, I shouldn't consider social status and how much money my future partner might have but rather take into account their values, intelligence, and ability to go beyond their personal gain and social conventions.
I believe this film is significant for a society where many young women pursue a life of luxury and entertainment without giving importance to being loved, respected, and valued for their inner worth. There are far too many models and examples today of women aspiring to become wives of footballers, politicians, actors, and other successful men because they think they will find their happiness in opulence and idleness. However, in doing so, they risk extinguishing their light and not experiencing the feeling of being loved genuinely and selflessly, beyond their physical appearance, compliance, and conformity to social expectations.
In 1997, on the other hand, young girls like me were encouraged to indulge in a deep and selfless love, built on numerous small or significant plans to be fulfilled throughout a long lifetime together.
I hope you enjoyed this post. It was a nice moment for me to reminisce about this film, which has been significant for me. See you very soon!