"A Night to Remember"
The 1958 black-and-white film "A Night to Remember" is a documentary-style movie starring Kenneth More as Second Officer Lightoller. The real Fourth Officer, Joseph G. Boxhall, acted as an advisor. This British film is based on the book by Walter Lord which was published in 1955, and was highly successful.
The motion picture shows the whole life of the steamship, starting with her launch until the rescue of the survivors by the Carpathia after the sinking of the vessel. It is a very accurate account of the disaster, though some minor errors can be noticed, for example the sinking of the Titanic in one piece. At that time, of course, the wreck was not yet found, and it was commonly believed that the ship had gone down intact, despite several eyewitness accounts who claimed seeing the Titanic breaking in two. Besides, some scenes show events which cannot be verified nor dismissed, such as the band playing "Nearer My God to Thee." What is more, the film shows that the third-class passengers were kept below which is not very likely. Finally, it is suggested that the nearby steamer which could be seen from the Titanic was the Californian. According to the latest evidence, this is not very likely either.
Until 1997, this film was regarded as the most compelling and accurate film account of the disaster. Now, however, this reputation is also disputed by the new movie by James Cameron.
James Cameron's "Titanic"
The movie "Titanic" by James Cameron is not only the most expensive, but also the most popular film production ever: It has cost more than 225 million dollars (some sources even claim that it has cost nearly 300 million dollars), and the income has exceeded 1.8 billion dollars! The film won eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Multiple Oscar-winner James Cameron presents us the story of a forbidden love between Jack Dawson (international superstar Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose DeWitt Bukater (Oscar-nominee Kate Winslet) whose passionate love affair becomes a thrilling race for survival when the Titanic collides with an iceberg.
A team of explorers dives down to the wreck to find the "Heart of the Ocean," a very expensive diamond. They recover a safe which was found inside the wreck, but they find nothing but a picture showing a young lady wearing the necklace with the diamond. After this picture is shown on TV, the head of the research team, Brock Lovett, is phoned by Rose Calvert who claims that she is the woman in the picture. Then, she and her grand-daughter travel to the research vessel, where Rose tells her story:
Rose travelled on the Titanic to return to America together with her fiancé, Caledon Hockley. A certain Jack Dawson gets aboard the ship as a third-class passenger, too, after having won the tickets in a poker game. During the voyage, Jack sees Rose by chance, and he is immediately fascinated. On the same day, Rose wants to commit suicide by jumping from the stern of the ship in the evening. Jack has seen her running towards the stern, and finally persuades her not to jump. While he helps her over the railing, she slips, and Jack has to pull her back. They fall on deck, and some crew members who have been alarmed by Rose's cries when hanging off the side of the ship arrest Jack, for they think that he has harassed her. Finally, however, the misunderstanding is cleared up (Rose claims that she wanted to see the propellers and that she slipped), and Jack is invited to dinner.
The same evening, Cal gives the "Coeur de la Mer," the "Heart of the Ocean," as a present to Rose.
The next day, Jack visits Rose who tells him of her engagement to Cal. She also gets to know his paintings, and is very impressed. In the evening, Jack has dinner with Cal, Rose, Rose's mother, and some other famous first-class passengers. He makes quite a great impression on the other dinner guest, both concerning his looks (he was offered a tuxedo by Molly Brown), as well as his behaviour, though he does not show the extremely aristocratic, elegant behaviour some of the first-class passengers have. After the dinner, Jack and Rose go to a party in third class, where they have lots of fun spending their time dancing.
The other day, Cal is furious because Rose has spent her time with Jack (She was watched by Spicer Lovejoy, Cal's valet). After that incident, Rose speaks to her mother who insists that she marries Cal, as they have lots of debts.
Jack wants to talk to Rose while she attends the church service, but is sent away. Therefore, he climbs onto the first-class deck secretly, and talks to Rose in the gymnasium about his affection for her, and tells her that he wants her to be happy. She responds that she is happy and will marry Cal. However, Rose changes her mind after realising again how she hates the way of living of the upper class, and joins Jack at the bow of the ship in the evening of April 14, where they finally kiss each other for the first time.
Afterwards, Jack and Rose retire to Rose's suite, where he draws her wearing the diamond necklace. Rose puts this drawing in Cal's safe with a note saying that he can keep both her and the necklace locked up in the safe now. Suddenly, the couple is disturbed by Lovejoy, and they run away. They finally escape through the boiler rooms after a long pursuit through various parts of the ship. Then, they come to the cargo hold, where they spend a very cosy time in a Renault automobile which is stored there. Some time later, some crewmen arrive who are in search of Jack and Rose, but they have already left the cargo hold and are standing on the forecastle deck where Rose tells Jack that she wants to leave the ship with him. At this very time, the iceberg comes into sight, and the collision occurs.
The film shows the last hours in the life of the Titanic amazingly accurately, therefore I will concentrate on telling the story of Jack and Rose: They return to Rose's cabin where Cal is already waiting for her. Jack is arrested by a crew member for stealing the necklace which has previously been dropped in his pocket by Lovejoy. Afterwards, when they are alone, Cal slaps Rose, but they are interrupted by a steward who tells them to put on their lifebelts and to proceed to the boat deck. The mother of Rose, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, finally gets aboard a lifeboat, but Rose refuses to enter, as she would "rather like to be Jack's whore than Cal's wife."
Subsequently, Rose wants to rescue Jack, and succeeds to find him with the help of Mr. Andrews. As Jack is chained to a pipe, she tries to find the keys to his handcuffs first, but then leaves again to get some help. As no-one is willing to help her, she fetches an axe with the help of which she frees Jack. Thereafter, they proceed to the boat deck after having pulled down the screen between the third- and the first-class quarters with the help of some other steerage passengers. Rose is persuaded by Cal and Jack to enter lifeboat D, but jumps onto the Titanic again while the lifeboat is lowered. Cal is so disappointed about the fact that Rose rejects him and rather prefers to live with Jack that he fetches Lovejoy's gun and fires eight shots at the couple. Jack and Rose escape through D-deck which is already flooding. They nearly drown several times, but finally manage to get up on deck again after being helped by a crewman who gives them a key to the screen which prevents them from getting into the first-class section.
In the meantime, Cal wants to enter a lifeboat, but is prevented to do so by Murdoch despite the bribe which he has received before. Cal, however, finally escapes aboard collapsible A. Murdoch shoots two passengers which try to rush the boats, and then commits suicide – one of only two scenes which are at least doubtful, though not completely refutable.
Rose and Jack rush astern, together with hundreds of others. At the very stern, they cling to the rail while the ship's band plays "Nearer My God to Thee" – the second (and last) doubtful event. Finally, the ship breaks in two and founders. Rose and Jack are separated under water, but find each other again. Rose climbs on some wreckage, whereas Jack stays in the water, as the piece of wood would sink if they both climbed on it. Rose has to promise Jack that she will never give up, before Jack finally perishes. Rose is rescued by the only boat to return.
Aboard the Carpathia, Cal looks for Rose who does not reveal herself. After the arrival in New York, Rose starts a new life – under the name Rose Dawson.
In the same night, Rose steps onto the rail at the stern of the research vessel, and throws the "Heart of the Ocean," which she has found in the pocket of Cal's coat which he had offered her on the Titanic, into the sea. At last, she goes to bed, and dreams of her time aboard the Titanic which she has enjoyed so much.
