Historical Accuracy of Titanic Movie

ORIGINAL POST

On the one hand, James Cameron went to amazing effort to depict the sinking of the ship with much more effort than needed and it created one of the best spectacles in cinema.

On the other hand, what he does to historical characters like Bruce Ismay and 1st Officer Murdock just goes beyond character assassination. It's thanks to this film people unironically think that the crew of the Titanic intentionally trapped 3rd class passengers to die also

12 replies

stebus88 · 2 years ago

I do agree they got a few things wrong in the 1997 film.

With Ismay, I think they did it that way to show him jumping in the boat was seen as “cowardice” by the 1912 general public. Ismay, who was unfairly vilified imo, lived the rest of his days in guilt and shame for surviving the disaster. How they treated him in the movie just reflected how he was perceived by the public.

Murdoch shooting himself is particularly egregious and even James Cameron admits he got that wrong. All the survivor testimonies state that he did his utmost to load lifeboats on the starboard side of the ship. He was last seen being washed away by the sea reaching the deck.

I firmly believe that if any officers did commit suicide, it was most likely to have been the chief officer Henry Tingle Wilde. Circumstantial evidence points more towards Wilde than Murdoch.

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WillK90 · 2 years ago

They also had Ismay climb into a lifeboat much earlier in the film than in real life. As far as I know he got into one of the last boats to have successfully been launched. I believe one of the collapsible boats as he was the 43rd passenger of the boats 40 passenger limit. He assisted with loading the boats the entire time and jumped on when no more women and children were around at that particular time

1 upvotes on reddit

Mitchell1876 · 2 years ago

They also had Ismay climb into a lifeboat much earlier in the film than in real life.

The movie depicts Ismay climbing into Collapsible C, the second to last boat lowered from the ship. The same boat he left on in real life.

1 upvotes on reddit

DarkNinjaPenguin · 2 years ago

Thing is, if you pay really close attention during the sinking you can see Ismay in the background shepherding passengers into the lifeboats.

Then if you think about it for a moment, you realise that he does take an otherwise vacant seat on a boat that was about to be lowered. This is accurate.

The worst thing the film did was the portrayal of the conversation between Ismay and Smith, where Ismay presses the captain to speed up. Later Smith mentions that he's ordered the last boilers to be lit, we know this is untrue.

8 upvotes on reddit

FuzzyRancor · 2 years ago

No, because its a movie, not a documentary and he took dramatic license.

It's thanks to this film people unironically think that the crew of the Titanic intentionally trapped 3rd class passengers to die also

Modern audiences would not understand the class system of the day and how strictly people adhered to it. Passengers weren't physically locked below decks but they might as well have been. 3rd class passengers were left below decks, told to wait there until they were told they could come up - which they did until very late in the sinking when they rushed upstairs, when most of the boats had gone. It would be difficult to convey to audiences how all those people would remain below decks on a sinking ship waiting to be told they were allowed up. Hence the dramatic license - just put a locked gate there.

18 upvotes on reddit

TrumpsCovidfefe · 2 years ago

So, there is some truth behind the locked in 3rd class passengers. The doors to third class were always locked because the steerage passengers had to be kept quarantined prior to arrival in New York. The officers on Titanic never ordered the doors to be unlocked, an oversight that changed emergency procedures henceforth. There is also testimony from a third class passenger that someone tried to keep the 3rd class passengers from ascending onto the upper decks and locked the gate. The passengers were able to break it and get out on the deck. Obviously, all of this was dramatized for the movie, but the ideas came from real testimony.

Edit: Also, the order to get the lifeboats ready and passengers up on deck and into them comes at 12:05am, but the order to alert the 3rd class passengers to do the same doesn’t happen until 12:30am.

337 upvotes on reddit

PWcrash · 2 years ago

Here's a comment I made a week ago going into the steerage passengers accounts that lead to this misunderstanding

And there is another great video by Ocean liner Designs going in depth explaining that a lot of 3rd class passengers didn't perish from being trapped by the crew, but more so from confusion, getting lost, and choosing to wait for orders from the crew.

24 upvotes on reddit

tundybundo · 2 years ago

Reading “a night to remember” and just got to a blurb about this and the author says that there wasn’t any outcry about the way third class was treated because it was just such an accepted part of culture at the time, so the investigations didn’t focus on third class passengers experiences because them treated differently wouldn’t have been considered out of the ordinary or particularly bad.

It would stand to reason that now people would look back and assume the lack of news stories written about that mistreatment would mean the mistreatment didn’t actually happen, when in fact it actually just reflects that third class being delayed access to lifeboats until much later than other classes was so normal that it wasn’t considered to be newsworthy

8 upvotes on reddit

tundybundo · 2 years ago

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thombo-1 · 2 years ago

This is the thing, there are quite a few intriguing factors to explore about why the class-based system led more Third Class passengers to die, but in more subtle ways.

The fact that they were in the bowels of the ship, many unable to read the English-only direction signs, the evacuation orders given later during the sinking - not Disney villain moustache-twirling evil like intentionally locking the gates to let them drown, but instead a series of unconscious institutional failures to protect these people to the same extent as their wealthy counterparts.

I suppose I get why a summer blockbuster might struggle to convey that as effectively however. Titanic is a fantastic film...but it isn't subtle.

178 upvotes on reddit

Aedan96 · OP · 2 years ago

Honestly I'd call that oversight fairly innocent. If we're going there we should also point out that some of the people that jumped from the ship into the water probably should have broken their necks because of the life jackets. There's a couple of deleted scenes which I'm glad were deleted however were very demonising towards the crew of the Titanic. One of them being some little girl that was drowned because she was locked into the 3rd class area? Can't remember the name of the girl she was a fictional character that spoke to Jack and Rose but was based off of poor Sidney.

39 upvotes on reddit

Low-Stick6746 · 2 years ago

I honestly don’t think he did a character assassination on either. He portrayed Ismay helping load the boats and then when no women and children were present he stepped in at the last minute. Of course he got a hard stare from Murdoch. It was basically his boss. Murdoch knew that he was probably going to die and he’s watching his boss go off safe and sound.

As for Murdoch, there were enough people who claimed that he shot himself, I understand Cameron putting it in the film. Personally I think it would have been better to have shown at a distance someone who was clearly an officer shoot themself and fall into the water and then going forward just not show Murdoch or Wilde as they were both rumored to be the one that took their life.

Third class may not have been physically blocked by gates like they are portrayed in A Night to Remember and Titanic. But many reported that third class passengers were kept back, reporting that they came swarming out onto the decks shortly before the end.

Over all, I feel these events were all fairly accurate.

29 upvotes on reddit

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r/titanic • [2]

Summarize

In Titanic (1997) James Cameron used a model of a German Class 80 steam locomotive, which did not yet exist in 1912 and never worked in England. This is because I have no life and read Wikipedia articles on trains all day and as a result could make a better film with more accurate trains.

Posted by Herr_Quattro · in r/titanic · 29 days ago

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monsterlynn · 28 days ago

It's all good. You should here the BF go on about Lovejoy's 1911.

3 upvotes on reddit

Ganyu1990 · 28 days ago

Omg i never bring that up as it felt like making a mt out of a mole hill. Though its not impossible someone could have a 1911 on titanic since they entered service in the us army in march 1911. Cal was filthy rich and the filthy rich have connections.

2 upvotes on reddit

monsterlynn · 27 days ago

Yes, but a Luger or a Webley would be more likely. Lugers are cool looking Art Nouveau guns, too (and very badguy coded due to their association with Nazis), so that'd be my choice. Also, consulting the BF - - he says the crew's Webleys are inaccurate, too as they're Mark VI, and those didn't come around until 1915. 😂🤣

1 upvotes on reddit

Riccma02 · 29 days ago

Because Marklin trains are comparatively easy to get, and as the Thomas and Friends production team found out, much more reliable than scratch building. Just think of it as an homage to Tugs.

6 upvotes on reddit

cowplum · 29 days ago

So why didn't they use any of the Thomas and Friends locomotives? Considering all of them are British.

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Jasp1943 · 29 days ago

Because a great many of them weren't designed until 1915. Thomas? He is an London, Brighton, and South Coast railway Billington E2, which were built in limited numbers in 1913 and 15. Edward? He is a Furness Railway K2, and although they were roughly as old as Rose was, they were not shunters, they pulling express passenger service.

Henry? LMS Stanier 'Black' 5MT, built in the 30s. Gordon? A GNR Gresley A1, built in the 20s. James? L&YR Class 27, the L&YR didn't operate in Southampton nor were the Class 27 used for Shunting. Percy? Awdry said "random bullshit go!" and invented his class, he has no basis but did canonically exist. Toby? GNR Tram, not used to shunt. Oliver? His class was introduced in the 30s.

In short; none of the locomotives from Thomas The Tank Engine and Friends seasons 1 to 5 would have A) existed at the time, B) have legitimately worked in Southampton, and C) have been a shunter in Southampton.

TL;DR - no Thomas characters from the show could have worked there

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BettyWhitesDimple · 29 days ago

The film is ruined now. Unwatchable.

15 upvotes on reddit

lopedopenope · 29 days ago

Interesting find.

What I find most shocking is that he didn’t even use the real Titanic. When I found this out I was really bummed out.

29 upvotes on reddit

Primary-Nose7377 · 28 days ago

First I'm hearing of this. Absolute bullshit move by a director.

2 upvotes on reddit

eric2pickens · 28 days ago

LOL

1 upvotes on reddit

beeurd · 29 days ago

As a railway enthusiast I am embarrassed that I've never noticed that. 🤦‍♂️

7 upvotes on reddit

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r/AskHistorians • [3]

Summarize

I've read that the Titanic movie is incredibly accurate for what we knew in 1997. What elements of the movie are now out of date based on newer research?

Posted by abracadabrantesques · in r/AskHistorians · 4 years ago

388 upvotes on reddit

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KoshiaCaron · 4 years ago

Can I piggyback on this question, and hopefully answer OP’s question as well— I watched an excellent documentary on the Titanic on Netflix about 3 years ago. It was about 45 minutes long and hosted by a man who had been studying the Titanic for years and recapped the whole night. Essentially, he was describing how so many factors came together that night to both cause the Titanic disaster as well as its eventually rescue. I cannot remember the name of it—can anyone help me out?

5 upvotes on reddit

YourlocalTitanicguy · 4 years ago

Was it Titanic: The Final Mystery? I remember that one being popular. I haven't seen it (I'm a little wary of Titanic documentaries these days)

5 upvotes on reddit

KoshiaCaron · 4 years ago

I watched a clip of this, and don’t recall the typical voiceover, but I’m quite sure it was Tim Martin, and his other documentary is ‘Titanic: Case Closed.’ I think that might be a winner! Thank you!

I would really recommend it. I’ve watched numerous Titanic documentaries; I only threw this one on to have something familiar to fall asleep to, and instead, I was riveted for two straight hours!

4 upvotes on reddit

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r/titanic • [4]

Summarize

Hey Reddit, I’ve been wondering how realistic the Titanic’s split is in James Cameron’s 1997 film. From a historical and scientific standpoint, does it match what we know about the ship’s actual sinking, or is it more dramatized for effect?”

Posted by Brief_Variety7470 · in r/titanic · 6 months ago

i.redd.it

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Loch-M · 6 months ago

It’s not accurate or realistic or even for effect, BUT it was based on what they knew at the time. They (at the time) didn’t know the ship broke in front of the third funnel and at a much lower angle. We can’t blame them

8 upvotes on reddit

conace21 · 6 months ago

But at the time, it was groundbreaking, for movie purposes. It was commonly thought that the ship had gone down in one piece. Then, they actually found the wreck in the 1980's, but a lot of people held on to the image from the movie "One Night to Remember. "

2 upvotes on reddit

Loch-M · 6 months ago

The movie was ahead of its time. I’ve watched this film countless times and I can NEVER tell when they switch from CGI to the actual set (and vice versa) mainly when the shot goes over the ship. It’s like it was made in the 2010s at LEAST to me. It blows my mind that they did that in 97. They did a WONDERFUL job

2 upvotes on reddit

Squiliam-Tortaleni · 6 months ago

It was accurate for the knowledge available in 1995 when the movie was being made, but the actual break was at a much lower angle than the film. The stern falling down in the pic is closer to the angle the actual ship was before it broke, and generally believed that the break was between funnels two and three now

30 upvotes on reddit

Mean_Adhesiveness_47 · 6 months ago

The ship split when it reached an angle of 20 to 25 degrees if I recall correctly. The 2 sections were still attached by the double bottom. As the bow section sank it pulled the stern up to an almost vertical position before the double bottom gave way. Also, the ship split between the front side of funnel 3 and funnel 4. Tons of photos of the wreck from the 80s and 90s that clearly show part of funnel 3 opening at the end of now section.

1 upvotes on reddit

PermanentlyAwkward · 6 months ago

Seconding this, and adding that Drain the Oceans on National Geographic did a Titanic special that was really cool. There’s a lot of “…and now, with modern technology, we can drain the titanic,” but besides the filler, the actual content is fascinating, and some of the findings could very much change our understanding of the event.

1 upvotes on reddit

Cynical_Citizen1 · 6 months ago

It's thought that the break occurred just forward of the No. 3 funnel as opposed to aft as seen in the film. Additionally, the break likely occurred mostly under the water and its impact upon breaking up was much less dramatic than the film portrayed.

12 upvotes on reddit

Loch-M · 6 months ago

And the stern settled a lot more gently than shown in the film. Otherwise, the aft mast probably would’ve broken off

6 upvotes on reddit

Irichcrusader · 6 months ago

Is that to say the aft section did nor raise as high as depicted in the movie before the break?

1 upvotes on reddit

Shalleni · 6 months ago

Very cool! Also, within this sub there are people that know everything there is to know about the titanic. EVERYTHING. I’m also into Amelia Earhart and I can’t tell you how many times I wish I could whistle for this whole group to just hop in that sub, bring some of that genius and solve Amelia’s mystery. I love these technical fastidious brains!!! And I mean it. I’m

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Legitimate-Milk4256 · 6 months ago

It was based on what they knew at the time. They had no clue it broke at a lower angle, so judging t is difficult because the movie is great

18 upvotes on reddit

IDOWNVOTECATSONSIGHT · 6 months ago

This reminds me of a testimony that claimed she split: How do you know she split? “Because we could see the aft part and there was no front part” or something to that effect. The image this generates is fascinating to me. Anyone know who this was? Kinda vague but I don’t remember the quote very well despite how cool it was.

1 upvotes on reddit

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r/titanic • [5]

Summarize

Historical fact forgotten

Posted by Muted-Lawyer-8512 · in r/titanic · 6 months ago

Why in the 1997 mega blockbuster. Was the " SS Californian" missed from the story.

It was part of the story line, the titanic film, "A Night to Remember"

It was only 10 miles away, & could see the distress flairs. But then, not internationaly recognise.

The Californian did have a radio, ( not all of them ) But it was switched off. The operator was asleep. They had stopped, co's of the icepack.

Sadly in the inquiry, sometime after. The captain was blamed, for not rescuing the survivors. He was publicly shamed, & losted his job.

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ProbablyKissesBoys · 6 months ago

I know in the scene where Molly brown is looking on from the lifeboat you can faintly see Californians lights on the horizon.

31 upvotes on reddit

snplayer · 6 months ago

But there’s one thing I don’t understand, the light of the Californian couldn’t be seen because of the earth’s curvature.

11 upvotes on reddit

DarkNinjaPenguin · 6 months ago

Why wouldn't they have been able to see the lights? Californian was probably only 10 miles away - 20 is the furthest estimate. Titanic's boat deck was 60 feet from the waterline (about 18 metres), which would enable you to see an object at sea level about 9 miles away. But Californian's lights weren't at sea level, they were also raised and she had masthead lights.

3 upvotes on reddit

PC_BuildyB0I · 6 months ago

The Californian's lights were due to the polar inversion, the same coldwater mirage that would have masked the iceberg from Titanic's view until it was too late.

14 upvotes on reddit

ProbablyKissesBoys · 6 months ago

I think it was based off survivor testimony, in which many passengers reported seeing lights in the distance that didn’t respond to the emergency flairs.

20 upvotes on reddit

a-secret-to-unravel · 6 months ago

They did have the Californian in some deleted scenes however it was removed for 2 main reasons

Run time, this is the main reason why the movie had so many deleted scenes. Cause 3 hours is already really long and that’s with a lot of the scenes trimmed out
Isolation. To show the Californian on full display would break the feeling of isolation established by the rest of the movie and establishing shots of that night. They can’t both be entirely alone and helpless while also cutting to another ship saying “da fuq they doin over there?”

38 upvotes on reddit

MrSFedora · 6 months ago

Cameron wasn't making a documentary. He was making a love story set on Titanic. The 1996 miniseries had Californian. Also, the pic you posted is Carpathia.

33 upvotes on reddit

Muted-Lawyer-8512 · OP · 6 months ago

Yes so l notice after. It was in a collection of ships, to do with the Titanic.

I was just trying to get a clear looking pic. Of a ship of time.

-20 upvotes on reddit

McBeaster · 6 months ago

Looking at that picture of Carpathia, it's incredible the captain was able to go full steam through the same ice field that sank Titanic, navigating from a bridge that looks like you can't see shit from

13 upvotes on reddit

Davetek463 · 6 months ago

The 1997 film already had a lot going on and the Californian was just not part of that focus. There’s a deleted scene or two with the Californian, and while good, it makes sense that they were cut.

115 upvotes on reddit

edgiepower · 6 months ago

IMO it creates an unnecessary villain by doing that. The audience is immediately enraged about the Californian rather than focusing on the main drama, and we stop experiencing the story through the main characters.

41 upvotes on reddit

is_reddit_useful · 6 months ago

Yes, that is insigtful. It would have interfered with the good vs. bad drama that the rest of the plot was creating. I think that the clarity of the drama the film created was part of its appeal, and clouding that would make it a worse movie.

7 upvotes on reddit

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r/titanic • [6]

Summarize

most accurate titanic film or series

Posted by PlotagonBNF · in r/titanic · 4 years ago

Which titanic based series or movie has the most accuracy to the titanic sinking

View Poll

20 upvotes on reddit

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Pjotter_47 · 4 years ago

The truth is we Will never know what exactly happend to the Titanic. Even though some movie depictions have matched fairly closely to our current knowledge of what happend that night. I’d say Titanic 1997 probably was the most accurate of these 3 depictions. Even if we now know it wasn’t exactly how it happend. (See “Titanic: the last words from James Cameron”) Documentary. It’s really good. Full free on youtube. That too probably have some mistakes in it too. But of the 3 choices here, it’s probably still Titanic 1997 that’s the most accurate.

4 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 4 years ago

In terms of the sinking, the 1997 film is the most accurate but ANTR is the most accurate when it comes to character and in my opinion, the fear of the passengers during the sinking. Oh, and Titanic 2012 miniseries, um… didn’t they make Lightoller dance? Enough said.

22 upvotes on reddit

PloKoon1912 · 4 years ago

Ok mabye the 2012 wasn't as historical accurat as others but I had a blast. The sinking and braking up was awsome with the shot from the water. And I laughed my ass of when Miss. Thayer told Jack his bedtime and then Lights dancing with Dorothy Gibson. And all in all I liked it, it was sad that they didn't Show the wireless operators, but they showed Astor with the dogs.

5 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 4 years ago

That end scene with the ship sinking from the view of the passengers in the water was my favourite part. Really good way of making the most of the minimal budget they would’ve had. Shame we had to go through 4 episodes of the same thing to get to it. Fellowes should’ve kept it more simple, focusing on a group of passengers or even a group of crew members. The large cast from all different areas of life was the biggest mistake, imo.

3 upvotes on reddit

PlotagonBNF · OP · 4 years ago

Also it showed astors death by him getting crushed by the funnel in the 2012 miniseries

3 upvotes on reddit

CaptainPanda02 · 4 years ago

What bugged me about the 2012 mini series was the bridge….. oh boy it irritated me…. First off…. Phones did not look like that…. The 1997 version had the most accurate phones, and in the right spot…. But in the mini series it looked like a 1970’s plastic phone behind a metal doomsday box….. also….. BOTH A NIGHT TO REMEMBER AND 1997 TITANIC HAD THE HELMSMAN IN THE WHEEL HOUSE!!!! Remember Titanic had three areas to control the ship, the docking bridge, for docking, the Wheelhouse, where the phones are located, which was only used out at open ocean, and the navigational bridge, where the telegraphs are located, they use that helm when near shore…. Actually in James Cameron’s Titanic, while Rose is getting a tour and Captain Smith is given a ice warning, around that time in the movie you could hear rose’s mother ask why there’s 3 helms, and Andrew’s replies “We only use that one when near shores” I mean… yeah sure they probably didn’t have enough money for another room…. But like, just photoshop a room in the bridge with a dude taking the helm…..

3 upvotes on reddit

Independent_Ad_7204 · 4 years ago

Titanic '97 is the most accurate at portraying the sinking.

2 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 4 years ago

Titanic 1997 is the most inaccurate in terms of protagonist because both are fictional..

3 upvotes on reddit

Bryzerse · 4 years ago

What's that got to do with anything? The question is about the sinking. Besides you are wrong anyway, because the main characters from both others are all fictional too. I'd say in terms of characters 1997 is the most accurate because the portrayals of the real people are very accurate (generally). 2012 is by far the least accurate.

2 upvotes on reddit

conspiracythruther · 4 years ago

A night to remember for character, Titanic 1997 for sinking special effects, and Titanic 2012 for the shallow break up, correct portrayal of Astor’s death, and less lighting as opposed to the well lit up Cameron Titanic.

3 upvotes on reddit

Bryzerse · 4 years ago

Astor wasn't crushed, survivors saw him clinging to a raft, and his body was said to be in "pristine" condition.

1 upvotes on reddit

AllanKnight_185 · 4 years ago

Most accurate as in most accurate for the time it was made or most accurate today?

3 upvotes on reddit

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r/titanic • [7]

Summarize

Why are we so fascinated with 'Titanic'?

Posted by hetkleinezusje · in r/titanic · 1 year ago

There have been so many other shipwrecks, so many sinkings, many with much greater loss of life. The 'Wilhelm Gustloff', 'Lusitania', the Phillipine ferry 'Dona Paz' and so many more had a greater loss of life and equally tragic stories, Why is 'Titanic' so fixed in our imaginations and folk lore?

I'm wondering whether it was because of the large number of extremely rich and famous on board, many who lost their lives, that the sinking occurred at the dawn of the 'newspaper age' when news spread so quickly and graphically compared with the past or whether we're obsessed because of its place as almost the ultimate symbol of corporate and human hubris and mismanagement.

If you said 'Lusitania' to most people, you'd just get a blank stare. But if you say 'Titanic', people can quote chapter and verse about the number of lifeboats, the race for the blue riband, the name of the captain, the 'Carpathia', 'Californian' etc. While James Cameron obviously played a big part with the movie, I'm not sure that the movie would have been such a success without 'Titanic's place already having been secured in our psyche.

Thoughts?

75 upvotes on reddit

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depolignacs · 1 year ago

i think it’s a combination of how glamorous it was, how people said it was unsinkable (i think) the fact they ignored every warning, and also that it sank on its first ever voyage

33 upvotes on reddit

NoRelease5370 · 1 year ago

Not to mention that the Titanic was turned into a celebrity ship even before it sank.

1 upvotes on reddit

MSLI1972 · 1 year ago

Also how incredibly long it took to sink. There was so much confusion, disbelief, love, sacrifice, heroism, tragedy, hope, and loss packed in between when the Titanic hit the iceberg and then finally vanished beneath the waves. You could make a movie out of it.

29 upvotes on reddit

kellypeck · 1 year ago

It was never officially advertised as unsinkable without qualifiers like "practically unsinkable" or phrases like "as far as it is possible to do so, the ship is designed to be unsinkable," but regardless people did believe it was unsinkable. And this wasn't exclusive to Titanic, there was a consensus at the time that modern shipbuilding had greatly reduced or potentially even eliminated the chance of disaster.

the fact they ignored every warning

This isn't a fact, the truth is pretty much the exact opposite. The wireless operators dutifully passed on ice warnings to the Bridge when they needed to, and the ones they didn't either weren't addressed to Titanic or didn't have a specific code indicating it needed to be given to the Bridge. And the deck officers were just following standard procedure, maintain speed unless visibility or weather worsens.

10 upvotes on reddit

thetoothua · 1 year ago

Adding to this, I think the "unsinkability" lends a lot to the mystique when people first learn about it, but like you said, the label was used with qualifiers by everyone building ships with double bottoms and watertight compartments at the time. It was used in marketing before, and surprisingly, after the sinking across the industry.

Even so, when we recognize that Titanic wasn't much different from other ships of the time in this regard, it doesn't take from the fact that it was considered to be very safe both by industry standards and as perceived by the public. I find it fascinating how many systems had to fail to lead to the sinking, and dispensing with the myth that it was literally claimed to be unsinkable only adds to that appreciation. It wasn't said to be literally unsinkable, no, but the designers of the time did have a more limited idea of what might most likely sink a ship and what they would have to design safeguards against.

Also, they used qualifiers in advertising, but didn't bother to step in when press and the public took the label "unsinkable" without qualification. They covered their asses and washed their hands while knowing they were selling at least a few extra tickets on a distorted understanding of their actual claims.

6 upvotes on reddit

WildBad7298 · 1 year ago

I think it's multiple aspects.

One was the people on board. The Astors, the Wideners, the Strauses, etc., were some of the richest and most well-known celebrities in the world at the time. It would be like if there was a disaster today involving Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and the Kardashians. People all over the world would be captivated it.

I also think that the fact that the Titanic sinking was an accident plays a big part. Yes, the Lusitania and Wilhelm Gustoff were enormous tragedies, but they were also deliberate acts of war. In war, there are plenty of terrible events. The Titanic sank in a relatively uneventful period of peace.

Not only was the Titanic an accident, but it was a very unusual one. Confidence in technology was at an all-time high. Large, technologically advanced ocean liners didn't just sink in the middle of the ocean and kill hundreds. It was seen as a practical impossibility and took the world by surprise.

Lastly is the way the disaster unfolded. The Lusitania, Wilhelm Gustloff, and Empress of Ireland all sank in less than an hour, following violent incidents (such as collisions or explosions). There was immediate terror and panic on board, and frantic rushing of people trying to save themselves. By contrast, the sinking of the Titanic has become so famous that we forget how truly unique it was. It had a relatively gently brush with an iceberg and slowly sank over the course of better than two-and-a-half hours, all while remaining on an even keel. There was no panic or desperation (at least not up until the end), and thus, there was plenty of time for numerous human dramas to play out. The Strauses choosing to remain together, Benjamin Guggenheim declaring his intent to die like a gentleman, Molly Brown insisting on the women helping to row, women and children being loaded into the boats first--these stories have become the stuff of legend. From the moment of the collision with the iceberg, over half the people on board were doomed, and it remains a captivating example of facing death.

20 upvotes on reddit

WerewolfBarMitzvah09 · 1 year ago

This is an excellent analysis; I agree that all of these are key elements to the Titanic fascination.

5 upvotes on reddit

KippChips · 1 year ago

The movie definitely brought a lot more attention to the ship, but its big because of the wreck; nobody knew where it was or what it even looked like, so the mystery behind it being “missing” was a big factor behind the fandom before the movie and before it was found. That legacy has carried generations and generations to still love titanic

71 upvotes on reddit

ersatzbaronness · 1 year ago

For me, it was the discovery of the wreck. I was a small child with a keen interest in history and a flare for the romantic and dramatic. The cover of National Geographic grabbed me in a way nothing in my little life really had to date. I poured over those pictures endlessly while my grandmother read me the article, and a lifelong passion was ignited.

39 upvotes on reddit

1004Hayfield · 1 year ago

I agree; it was until my teens it was discovered, and prior to that, it always appeared in my Time Life (and etc.) mystery books as the great "lost" ship - would it ever be found? Of course, that page was followed by a feature on Roswell. But, you get the idea...

5 upvotes on reddit

lankylibs · 1 year ago

My late father is the reason behind my obsession with it. We had a book “The Discovery of the Titanic” and I used to do the same as you. Pour over the pictures while my dad would read facts and paragraphs from the book. Then the movie came out and I KNEW at the age of 8, this was gonna be a big part of the rest of my life💜

1 upvotes on reddit

mikewilson1985 · 1 year ago

The 1997 film is responsible in a very big way for the number of people who are very interested in it currently.

And if we build on that and go back to the actual sinking in 1912, it really made for the 'perfect' setting for a blockbuster film. The biggest, newest and safest ship strikes an iceberg and sinks on its maiden voyage with a massive loss of life, and not only that but it sinks on an almost even keel, takes 3 hours to do so, in the middle of the night, but with electrical power that stays on for the entire sinking, and not only that but a rescue ship is actually able to be contacted and save sufficient lives for the story to be recorded in vivid detail in the history books (thanks to the very big part played by radio communication which was still in its infancy in 1912).

If you were a Hollywood writer, you really couldn't ask for a better disaster in which to insert a 'Romeo and Juliet' story-line as done by James Cameron in his 1997 masterpiece. Do it with such amazing attention to detail with the production of the sets and historical timeline (and with a little embellishment here and there) and how could people not be sucked into becoming fascinated by the original event?

45 upvotes on reddit

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r/SettleThis4Me • [8]

Summarize

Is the movie Titanic based on a true story?

Posted by Mr_Whiz_Biz · in r/SettleThis4Me · 6 years ago

My friends and I were debating this, I say it isn’t because the “story” of Jack and Rose is made up, whereas the ship sinking is more of a plot element rather than a story. It’s like saying Captain America 1 is based on a true story because it takes place during WWII.

They say it is based on a true story because of the faithfulness to historical facts, and the fact that the filmmakers studied the actual Titanic extensively to create the movie.

What do you guys think?

9 upvotes on reddit

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coffeequill · 6 years ago

It's historical fiction. The central characters fictional but have a factual/historical setting. I think whether or not that makes it based on a true story is neither here nor there. It is both.

2 upvotes on reddit

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r/titanic • [9]

Summarize

Why James Cameron's dialogue in 'Titanic' is actually great

Posted by DynastyFan85 · in r/titanic · 5 years ago

ew.com

13 upvotes on reddit

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hello_hilary · 5 years ago

This article was spot on! I love the 1997 Titanic film. I watch it fairly often... too often if you asked my husband haha. But seriously, there are a lot of good lines and really, I watch that film to see the ship, to see the wreck, to see how something so huge could just disappear into the ocean and be lost to the world for decades! It’s incredible to experience it in this way. Some things are cheesy (“I’m the king of the world!”), but others like this article highlights are fantastic. I just love it. Now I need to watch it again haha

8 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 5 years ago

The dialogue as soon as we get to 1912 doesn’t bother me at all, it suits the period for It to be a little cheesy.

2 upvotes on reddit

Matuatay · 5 years ago

I mean, the film is written to appeal to teenage - young adult audiences the most. I don't know who goes into 'Titanic' expecting Shakespeare (beyond the core plot itself), but whatever. I never had an issue with the dialogue.

4 upvotes on reddit

DynastyFan85 · OP · 5 years ago

Me either

3 upvotes on reddit

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r/AskHistorians • [10]

Summarize

The film Titanic depicts a very vibrant social scene among the American industrialists of the early 20th century. How long did this social scene last? Why didn't a similar one come to replace it later in the 20th century?

Posted by ottolouis · in r/AskHistorians · 3 years ago

The film Titanic depicts, not only a very vibrant social scene among the richest Americans in 1912, but also a very intimate one. Rose, the protagonist, knows who everyone is, what they do, and some secret gossip about their lives. One really unique feature is the fact that wealth is so generational or familial. This is depicted in the film when Jack is asked if he's a member of the Dawson family of Boston. Today, there are plenty of rich people: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, etc. But in the early 20th century, wealth could be more easily identified with families than individuals: the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Astors, Guggenheims, etc. So, I guess my first question would be: How accurate is it that the wealthiest families in the US had a close-knit social scene in the early 20th century? Why was wealth more family-oriented then?

Second, if this social scene did exist the way it's depicted, what happened to it? The families listed above can be identified with the industries of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: railroad, mining, oil, steel manufacturing. As industry changed, why didn't new families form a similar social scene? I don't think the Fords could be called the "Rockefellers" of the automobile industry. And I don't know any famous families associated with products of the mid-twentieth century, like appliances and televisions. And beginning in the late 20th century, lots of big names in tech would arise, but they're all individuals, and I do not believe they had or have anything like the social scene depicted in Titanic.

In Titanic, Rose escapes from her rich husband, and starts a new life. But suppose she had returned to the US with her husband. How long would she have been going to these dinners for? When would they have ended? How long would she have known these families? I can't imagine this scene going into the 1960s, or even the 1950s.

And why did it end? I have a few theories. The first is that all of the industrial families lived in the Northeastern US, especially in New York City. If they were highly concentrated, they would have seen one another regularly. But eventually industries became more spread out. Second, travel became easier. In the past, it would have been more difficult to spend your free time in far-away places, and you would've been happy to stay close to home with your rich community. But as travel got easier, other locations became more accessible, and as a rich person, you would've spent more time in different places. Third, I strongly suspect the Great Depression damaged the social life of the well-to-do.

So yeah. How accurate is the social scene depicted in Titanic? How long did it last? Why did it end?

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