Let. Me. Tell. You. I have a problem, a problem that consumes a strenuous portion of my brain. Ever since I was 10 years old and after multiple viewings of James Cameron’s infamous ‘Titanic’ film; my conclusion of the film becomes a conflict within myself. Like half of the entirety of our modern 21st century population, whenever a budding Leonardo DiCaprio appears on screen I swoon and my heart melts. Similarly, I am utterly infatuated with the love story between Jack and Rose and their battle through the stereotypical obstacles that they were required to triumph whilst in the midst of a sinking ship. “Drama!” the audience gasps. In saying that, I experience an immense difficulty to comprehend the logic of the end of the film. Why, Mr Cameron? Please, tell me why you would do this to me?! And by now you are probably wondering: “what is this maniac talking about?” That would be the fact that Rose had the audacity to allow Jack to die the way he did. How could she let that happen?! How could YOU, James Cameron, allow for this to be so?
Hypothetically, put yourself into the heels of the precious Rose DeWitt Bukater on the voyage of a lifetime, this would be a double hypothetical as she is a fictional character, so get your imagination cap on. You are unsatisfied with all aspects of your unnecessarily superficial being. And then along comes the dashing Jack Dawson who brings out your inner Sagittarius self: audacious and free. He dissuades you from committing suicide, a new fire in your eye scoops you out of your inner slump and into an entirely alternate universe. Everything that you have known as your life before, every person that you have met and known, every lesson that you have learnt and every hour that you have spent being the upper class ‘Miss Bukater’ have seeped into the surrounding ocean’s abyss. Now, you have been submerged into the realm of Dawson. Ultimately and wholly enriched in his spontaneity that spurs you into a whirlwind of inspiration of the undiscovered world beneath your feet.
Rose, darling, please make sure that you do not allow anything to come in between yourself and Jack. We know that you have never before been so intensely driven as yourself, accompanied with a deep-dyed motivation to see the world. Do not allow anything to interrupt you (an iceberg is not an adequate excuse) from this adulation. You did not know what it meant before to love and be loved, now, you do.
What a pity that the near end was looming in the frigid air.
An iceberg rises amongst the darkened gulf of the North Atlantic Ocean, striking the side of the ship. Things seem controlled until it crescendos, water commences to fill the total below deck province. Over the three classes aboard the Titanic, the initial uproar of water drowns many of the third class, of whom are not condemned to enter beyond their designated region of living accommodation. This included the workers who were busily treading on to keep the boat engine running. The rising water level corresponds with the rising level of concern for the crew. Lifeboats held essential resources of survival, however, the Titanic was not equipped with enough lifeboats to cater for all members aboard. 20 lifeboats accommodated for approximately 1,178 people and there were 3,327 passengers and crew members on the Titanic. Unprepared, unaware and unjustifiable.
Jack found himself being wrongly accused of embedding ‘The Heart of the Ocean’, the illustrious blue diamond necklace that lay upon Rose’s chest that is ‘supposedly’ locked away in the safe. Her pompous fianceé, Caledon Hockey (the name says it all), had set Jack up, envious of their love. Jack was escorted to a room in a lower deck and handcuffed to a pole. There, Jack was trapped amongst a sunken scope. Initially convinced by Jack’s misconduct, Rose has an epiphany and decides that, no, Jack would never do such a thing. Of course he did not. She (breaking the stereotype of the damsel in distress, where Rose goes to rescue Jack) ventures out to retrieve her love. When Jack is found (tied up), in shock, the room has been engulfed by the water. Rose must detach Jack from these handcuffs with a key that is nowhere to be seen. With an axe in hand and no time to spare, Rose swings at Jack’s hands and with utter surprise, frees him. Now, together at last, they must figure out how to survive.
When the ship shifts up vertically, Jack and Rose secure themselves onto the rails, which happen to be the rails in which they first met, possibly suggesting that the start of their love is shortly going to come to a near end, as the Titanic plummets down into the depths of the Atlantic. Now, this is when just like Rose, I forget everything that I have known to be, as it seeps away into the buttered popcorn rested by my side. It is good to see that Rose has the courtesy to take up the whole expanse of the floating wood. If you were not able to catch onto that snarky tone of mine, I was in fact using sarcasm as a mechanism to express my downright rage when it comes to this end scene.
First and foremost, why did they not try to find another piece of furniture? It did not seem to be much of a difficulty to find that secure piece of driftwood that Rose rests her delicate head on. Surely, there would be another extravagant bedhead to ensure survival. And I know, maybe yes, forging through that hypothermic water would exert too much energy (many thanks to biology 301 for promoting my academic intelligence), but you would inevitably come across another bedhead. Say theoretically, they do not find that bedhead, you would assume that they would try multiple positions to fit the both of them onto the raft? They did not seem to have any trouble with trying out new positions inside of that condensated carriage now, did they?
James Cameron rebuttals against claims like my own to say that the issue was not the size and space upon the debri, but the buoyancy: they would sink. Hmmmm, think again Mr Cameron. It was actually proved in the first episode of the eleventh season of Mythbusters that if Rose had taken off her lifejacket and tied it to the bottom of the wood, that Jack would of had no problem floating with Rose on the wood because it would be buoyant enough to support the both of them. Boom. Did you hear that? The microphone has been dropped.
To ultimately conclude this internal conundrum of mine, I do in fact think that the portrayal of the end scene affects my total viewing of the film. Jack’s sacrifice for Rose’s continuity was unnecessary and just pulled at heartstrings. Jack is foolish, Rose is a narcissist and Mr Cameron, I think that you are a genius for allowing your work to affect me the way it has. And my heart will go on in believing that one day, Jack will wondrously appear out of the depths of the ocean and return into the loving arms of Rose.
My Heart Will Go On: https://youtu.be/3gK_2XdjOdY
This blog will encompass the life of a 19-year-old kiwi chica. Composed of stories, advice, life lessons, worldly observations, videos and whatever else Ella's life brings to surface.
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