Related Text Analysis

Title: Titanic
Composer: James Cameron
Publisher: Twentieth Century Fox
Release Date: 18 December 1997
Synopsis: 84 years after the Titanic had sunk, deep-sea explorer,
Brock Lovett, searches the remains of the ship for a necklace and
comes across a drawing that not only was drawn on the night that
the ship went to the bottom of the ocean, but also had the necklace
that he was searching for within it. After seeing the drawing on the
television, Rose DeWitt Bukator, the lady in the drawing, calls Mr.
Lovett so that she can meet with him and tell him her story of what
happened on her voyage and of course what happened to the
necklace. Throughout the film, you are taken back to 1912 to Rose
and her story of how she fell in love with a poor boy named Jack
Dawson. The film tells their story of betrayal, lies, different worlds
and forbidden love.
How does it relate to history and memory? The film was based
in the present day and also through the 5-day story of two people
aboard the RMS Titanic during April 1912. The sinking of the Titanic
was a historical moment that became world known. Many lives were
lost and many people around the world mourned their deaths. A
100-year old woman that is reflecting upon her time aboard the ship
and her survival though told the story based upon her own
memories. The film has both aspects within it in a way that the
sinking was history, but her personal story was a memory she held
close to her heart.
How does it relate to The Fiftieth Gate? The film doesn’t relate
to The Fiftieth Gate in the sense of it being similar, but in the way
that is actually contrasts to it. The history side of The Fiftieth Gate
was based on the Holocaust, which was a human war that was acted
upon by humans; it was consciously chosen to happen. The sinking
of the Titanic was an accident that was caused by nature, no one
chose to sink the ship, it just happened. There are similar difference
between the memories of Joe and Genia, and that of Rose. Joe and
Genia have trouble remembering exactly what happened, their
memory is fragmented. Rose on the other hand can still “smell the
fresh paint”. She remembers everything that happened during her
journey.
In what ways did the text broaden your understanding of
the world and yourself? It made me realise that people shouldn’t
be judged by what they look like, how they talk and where they
come from. Everyone is still the same. That was evident when they
were all in the water, it didn’t matter what class you were, you were
all in the water fighting for your life. It also showed me that love is
sometimes worth fighting for if you believe in it. As with almost
everything in life, fight for what you believe in.