James Cameron's Presentation and Adaptation of Titanic for the Cinema

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James Cameron's Presentation and Adaptation of Titanic for the Cinema

The 1997 film 'Titanic' is based on the well-known true story of the

R.M.S Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage to New York from

England. The film is based around the sinking of the Titanic, with the

break up of Cal Hockley's (Billy Zane) and Rose DeWitt Bukater's (Kate

Winslet) engagement as Rose falls in love with Jack Dawson (Leonardo

de Caprio) to carry the film along to the accident where the titanic

sank in the Atlantic Ocean. This story is part of a larger story told

to the crew of a ship who are sent to retrieve the Coeur de la Mer,

(Heart of the oceans) given to Rose by Cal before the titanic sank

which is told by Rose aged 101, 84 years after the 'Unsinkable'

Titanic sank.

Director James Cameron (Aliens [sequel to Ridly Scott's Alien], The

Terminator, True Lies) has adapted the Titanic story for cinema which

puts it with films that everyone has seen like: The Lord of the Rings,

the Matrix, Jurassic Park and many others.

Without the romance of Rose and Jack the film would have nothing to

work with apart from the sinking of the Titanic but there would be

nothing to lead up to it. Rose is in the upper classes of society

while Jack is in the working class and this is showing that the

distance between each class is not to big for these two lovers to

cross. It also criticises the gap of the two classes. Even when they

are on the other ship the survivors are still split by class. The

captain and the officers would be higher up in the hierarchy. Those

that work at the bottom of the ship (Engine room) are treated as third

class passengers.

The true story of the film titanic is adapted for the cinema by the

addition of two main characters: Rose and Jack. The characters are

used to carry the film along until the titanic actually sank.

Otherwise it would have no backbone, nothing to go with.

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