Titanic

 Titanic is a Romantic Movie about a high class girl, Rose, that falls in love with a lower class artist, Jack. Though she was already spoken for Jack’s easy going ways and heartwarming hospitality made her fall in love with him on the Titanic. The love would have been able to flourish and last if not for the ice burg that forced the ships demise and changed their entire lives on that boat. We see the couple go through trials and tribulations but in the end he freezes to death and dies while waiting to be rescued. The last scene we see an aged Rose still reminiscing about her lost love and we feel for her.

                The music in the Titanic is mainly very loud back ground music that build the moments. The songs were Symphony style music by James Horner and were strategically placed to make the scenes even sadder and more tragic. No words or catchy lyrics were necessary in the formation of this tragic true story but the instrumental songs where perfect background fillers to add depth and character to scene. The idea that “Cinematic music…. Does not simply add to, but multiplies, two or three times, the effect of the image” is shown through the instrumental music in this famous movie. (Giannette 201) Every moment the music plays the characters seem to come more alive or MORE DEAD. The songs Titanic an Ocean of Memories and Death of the Titanic both almost made another character of their own. They gave voices to the dead and dying. In the back of my head I felt like I could hear the screams and moans of the people and the last scene of the movie the music almost seemed to enhance the silence.

When the Movie the Titanic was being advertised in 1997 one of the most notable songs was Celine Dion’s MEGA HIT, MY Heart Will Go On. This song, still to this day, not only is one of the most notable part of the movie but also can be recognized almost anywhere as the Titanic theme song. Watching the movie closely I began to realize that you never really hear the words to the song. However the most sacred and memorable moments in the movie are enhanced by the instrumental version of this Contemporary ballad. The two most notable times of love oozing script was came in the middle and end of the movie. The first, when Jack allowed her to go on the rescue boat before him and essentially tried to save her life while risking his own, we hear the song which added to the selfless act of her leaving her spot on the boat and returning to the death trap that was the Titanic we get the affirmation that she is in love with him. The heart breaking last scene of the movie we see a rescue boat come and all the people floating in the water dead and frozen and when we spot the couple initially they seem to have perished like the rest but we see movement from Rose and in the heart breaking next moment realize that Jack has died next to his love and the music once again begins to play. The song is being used to enhance the drama of the scene and it brought a tear to my eye every time I heard the instrumental, almost like it was forcing you to feel sad. The lyrics of the song are “my heart will go on and on,” foreshadowing her love for him will forever be there, as we see in her eyes when they interview her as an older woman.

The different songs in the Titanic do a great job of showing the sadness and depression of the movie. There could possibly have been more happy songs to lighten the mood but generally the foreshadowing of death was always upon them. Horner did a great job of appealing to the hearts and minds of the audience. I give this musical soundtrack a four out of five pickles. The songs aren’t a major part but do a great job of making the major moments memorable. The score gives a voice to the dead.