Encyclopedia Titanica

Displacing "Titanic": History, Spectacle, and Hollywood

Interdisciplinary Literary Studies

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This analysis of James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic critiques the film’s portrayal of historical events, highlighting its shift from an accurate representation of the Titanic disaster to a fictional love story embedded in Hollywood traditions. Lim argues that the film prioritises the romance between Jack and Rose, effectively sidelining the broader historical tragedy and the real stories of other passengers. Cameron’s reliance on classical Hollywood storytelling, visual spectacle, and technological achievements is emphasised as a means to glorify cinema itself rather than authentically engaging with history. The paper explores the narrative and visual techniques that create a “mythologised” Titanic, turning it into a celebration of Hollywood’s legacy rather than a profound reflection on the disaster.

by Edna Lim

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