In the early days of the cinema, people used to flock to the movie theatres to watch places they had never seen, or experiences they had never encountered. James Cameron�s TITANIC is one such film. As the ship goes down we see how it must have felt like and we are moved (obviously to different degrees). TITANIC is a masterpiece in this respect. But comparing it to another ground breaking blockbuster Jurassic Park, is this film better? The answer would have to be in the affirmative. While there are many similar themes, such as the films being a metaphor for the follies of human nature�s trust in technology (cinema has a pre occupation with this theme for many reasons, which we will discuss later.), as well as some obvious gestures in pointing out the destructive nature of greed and self interest (however, when one carefully looks at Titanic, those that were greedy and self interested survived, even though we hated them. Perhaps it�s a reference to the owner of FOX!). Below, there will be links to examine some of the main areas that make the film work.

THE SEARCH

Every movie has a search. There is some goal which drives the movie, which shapes it, and gives it direction. Citizen Kane is an excellent example. The movie opens in the present day, with Kane on his deathbed. Just before he dies, he says: �Rosebud.� While Titanic (with its spectacle) pales into insignificance next to this great movie, it operates under a similar structure. �Rosebud� is replaced with Rose�s necklace. The whole object of the film is to find Rose�s necklace. But in the end, the necklace was a way for the story to be retold. It becomes irrelevant really (even though we notice all through the film what�s happening to the necklace) as the action of the film becomes so engrossing in so many other aspects. The search in this movie fragments, and for each character it becomes something different. This will be discussed more in the themes section.