The RMS Titanic sank in 1912, but rose again in 1997. The film, which took a sweeping 11 Oscars home at the 1998 Academy Awards, touched the hearts of enormous audiences for its gut-wrenching love story, brilliant cinematography, and its use of strong female protagonists. The narrative is told through a female lens, and while it has many of the qualities usually seen in the romance genre, Titanic brings a new light to how female characters should be written. The exploration of gender stereotypes and assumptions contrasts with the deeply developed characters who defy them. Finally, the film showcases what it means to be of a certain gender, class and sexuality in North American culture. The film breaks down multiple stereotypes and barriers
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In the re-telling of her love story with Jack Dawson, a third-class passenger who died in the sinking, she also maintains the active character. Many films which feature female characters who defy gender stereotypes and societal expectations, typically referred to as the ‘manic pixie girl’, simply use the girl as a plot device to move the male character forward toward development or new story arches. A primary example of this is the film 500 Days of Summer, which tells the story of a man who cannot get over his past lover who “..likes the same bizzaro crap” (Webb, 500 Days of Summer) as him, until he meets a new manic pixie girl, and his new adventure begins. This trope is all to normal for movies which feature a love story, but aren’t necessarily considered a romance because they are told from a male perspective. Titanic does not fall into this cliche. Rose’s story remains just that, Rose’s story. At the end of the film, while the camera pans across the many photographs that she insisted on bringing with her to the crew ship, the audience sees the live that Rose lived, completed with flying a plane, working as an actress, and riding “like a man” on a horse. Though these character
In the re-telling of her love story with Jack Dawson, a third-class passenger who died in the sinking, she also maintains the active character. Many films which feature female characters who defy gender stereotypes and societal expectations, typically referred to as the ‘manic pixie girl’, simply use the girl as a plot device to move the male character forward toward development or new story arches. A primary example of this is the film 500 Days of Summer, which tells the story of a man who cannot get over his past lover who “..likes the same bizzaro crap” (Webb, 500 Days of Summer) as him, until he meets a new manic pixie girl, and his new adventure begins. This trope is all to normal for movies which feature a love story, but aren’t necessarily considered a romance because they are told from a male perspective. Titanic does not fall into this cliche. Rose’s story remains just that, Rose’s story. At the end of the film, while the camera pans across the many photographs that she insisted on bringing with her to the crew ship, the audience sees the live that Rose lived, completed with flying a plane, working as an actress, and riding “like a man” on a horse. Though these character