Film Journal - Titanic

I chose to discuss the cinematography and mise-en-scene of Titanic for this film journal. Titanic is a classic and one of my personal favorite films. Since the movie has so many examples throughout its 3 hour and 30 minute timeframe, I’ve decided to select certain scenes from the film to assess.

The movie begins with images of the original R.M.S. Titanic and people waving their families goodbye setting up a solemn tone. The scene can also be seen as zealous by some because it seems like a happy moment or a new beginning for those people. For me, and possibly others, knowing the history of Titanic and the fate of the many on the ship prior to watching the film gives me an aching feeling. Just from these few opening sequences, we can see just how impactful cinematography is and how it can change the viewing of a film from one person to the next.

After this scene, there is a jump to the ocean water and waves bringing us to our opening title. Though this can seem solemn it also feels serene. We are soon introduced to our main characters of the present day portion of the movie. The plot is set up by treasure hunter Brock Lovett and his crew, who are underwater looking for the biggest lost treasure of the Titanic, the “Heart of the Ocean”. In this scene we see the ship for the first time, not as an “unsinkable” ship going on a grand voyage but as a preserved artifact that has been down at the sea floor for many, many years. This to me is a great scene because it shows the reality of this major piece of history. As the scene keeps rolling, we get views of inside the ship showcasing all the lost trinkets from the people who lost their lives. The trinkets give you an idea of all who died such as age groups and class.

Once we come up from Titanic’s underwater grave, we shift from the crew’s disappointing find to an image drawn of woman with the necklace that Lovett is looking for. A jump occurs where we go from the image in front of Lovett to the home of an elder...