TITANIC. Since its release in 1998, Titanic has been an unbeatable cult film. But does he relate the sinking of the ocean liner with historical accuracy?
[Mis à jour le 7 décembre 2022 à 20h45] titanic remains a timeless classic of cinema. Realized by james cameron and released in 1991, this feature film which traces the sinking of the famous liner is broadcast on TF1 this Wednesday, December 7. If the romance between Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) is invented for the purposes of the screenplay, the film tells the true story of the sinking of the Titanic, after hitting an iceberg in 1912. PSeveral historical elements are sprinkled in the feature film to make it as close as possible to reality.
During the production of titanic, two historians brought their knowledge to James Cameron. Don Lynch and Ken Marschall, authors of The Great Illustrated History of the Titanic, have worked with the director so that the reconstruction of the shipwreck is as faithful as possible to the drama that took place at the beginning of the twentieth century. If Rose and Jack, as well as their families, are fictitious, they rub shoulders with people who really existed, like Captain Smith, Commander Smith, or the architect Joseph Bruce Ismay.
We can also see, during the scene of the sinking, a nod to a couple who really existed: they are Isidor and Ida Straus, two members of the first class of the boat, who decided to leave their place on the rescue channels to die together on the boat. They are represented in the film during a very moving scene, during which an elderly couple, entwined in a bed, awaits death. If we do not know exactly how the captain of the boat died, several theories exist about him, one of the rumors states that he would have remained behind to sink with the Titanic, as shown in the film.
titanic also takes liberties with history
Among the elements of the scenario of titanic which are not proven historically, we note the fact that Bruce Ismay would have pressured the captain to make the ship go faster. Ismay has always defended himself against such accusations, and historians tend to side with the architect on this point. The architect has also been cleared of the charges of misconduct that weighed on him after the sinking of the liner. The death of first officer William Murdoch in the film has also caused controversy, since he is seen in the feature film shooting two men before killing himself. If this scene is inspired by rumors of suicide, these have been denied by several observers and witnesses.
film profile
Huge success at the 11 Oscars, titanic was at its release the most expensive film ever produced with a budget of more than 200 million dollars. It has since been overtaken by Spider-Man 3 and Avatar but remains a cult film for an impressive number of fans and moviegoers. The shooting, very trying, lasted more than eight months. titanic is also the film that launched the careers of its young actors. Leonardo DiCaprio suddenly experienced an immense frenzy from fans often declaring themselves in love with him and was able, thanks to this film, to really launch his career, becoming a coveted actor. Following Titanic, Kate Winslet has also acted in numerous award-winning films which have enabled her to become the famous actress she is today. On April 4, 2012, James Cameron decided to release the film in 3D for the centenary of the sinking.
Synopsis – Southampton, April 10, 1912. The Titanic, the largest ocean liner in the world, is preparing to set sail on its maiden voyage to New York. On board, the modest Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a third-class passenger who won his ticket at poker, meets Rose Dewitt Buckater (Kate Winslet), a beautiful young first-class girl from the upper middle class who his mother Ruth (Frances Fisher) is betrothed to Caledon Hockley (Billy Zane), a wealthy aristocrat. Jack will introduce Rose to the festive world of third-class parties, despite the disagreements of Caledon and Ruth, who are determined to prevent Rose from becoming infatuated with Jack. But although everything is against them, the two young people will fall madly in love with each other and promise to run away together when the liner arrives. Their projects will sink at the same time as the Titanic which then hits an iceberg in the middle of an ocean with icy water…
The love story between Rose and Jack could hardly have come to fruition due to the social conventions of the time. It is therefore no surprise that Rose DeWitt Bukater and Jack Dawson are totally fictional characters, invented by James Cameron. However, for the role played by Kate Winslet, the director was inspired by a manuscript by Helen Churchill Candee, an American journalist who describes her romance with a passenger on the boat. While the names of the protagonists of titanic had already been found, James Cameron discovered that a certain J. Dawson, a member of the Titanic’s engineering team, would have been killed in the sinking. His name would be James, however, not Jack. He is buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
titanic is the film that really launched the careers of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, who play the two star-crossed lovers in James Cameron’s feature film. Find below the main cast of titanic :
- Leonardo DiCaprioJack Dawson
- Kate WinsletRose DeWitt-Bukater/Dawson
- Billy ZaneCaledon Hockley
- Frances FisherRuth DeWitt-Bukater
- Bill PaxtonBrock Lovett
- Gloria StuartRose Calvert
- Kathy Bates as Margaret Brown aka Molly
- Victor Garber: Naval Architect Thomas Andrews
- Bernard HillCommander Edward John Smith
- Jonathan HydeJoseph Bruce Ismay
- David Warner: Spicer Lovejoy
- Danny Nucci as Fabrizio De Rossi
- Jason BarryTommy Ryan
- Alexandrea OwensCora Cartmell
- Rocky TaylorBert Cartmell
- Lewis Abernathy (from: Lewis Bodine
- Suzy Amis: Lizzy Calvert