media codes symbolic codes representations

Heart Of The Ocean

The Heart of the Ocean represents Rose’s heart and her love for Jack, as expressed in her quote, “A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets.” For Rose, the diamond’s value is not determined by its magnificent size, but rather by the context and significance it holds for her as a memento of her time with Jack. Rose chooses to abandon the jewel in the North Atlantic rather than hand it over to treasure hunters because of this. By accomplishing this, she symbolically rejoins Jack, and that night she has a dream in which they are together again on board the Titanic. It also represents how genuine and intense her feelings are for Jack and how her heart’s hidden emotions have finally found their way back to where they belong—down into the ocean’s depths, where it will once more meet her true love. It proves that no matter the value of a material thing is, nothing can be compared to the love and sacrifice that you could give to someone.

Titanic

The Titanic is a symbol of modernity and human pride since it was a magnificent feat of shipbuilding. The male characters in the movie, like J, are particularly drawn to the ship. Cal Hockley and Bruce Ismay are completely enamored with its lavish amenities and size. The men deny the likelihood that the ship may ever be sunk by focusing arrogantly on the engineering accomplishment of the ship. For example, the ship is a “slave ship, taking [her] back to America in chains” for Rose, while for Jack it is a doorway to a brand-new and fascinating world.

ROMEO AND JULIET (ALLEGORY)

James Cameron originally dubbed the movie “Romeo and Juliet on the Titanic,” depicting a “star-crossed” romance between an aristocratic girl and an impoverished boy rather than Shakespeare’s play’s depiction of a conflict between two warring families. The intense intensity with which Jack and Rose fall in love and the overwhelming barriers that stand in their way contribute to the movie being an allegory retelling of Romeo and Juliet. The phrase “You jump, I jump, right?” stated by both Jack and Rose at various stages in the movie best captures the unwavering intensity of their relationship.

Clocks

In the movie, clocks and clock motifs are everywhere. Rose had supper with Jack in the first-class lobby beside the elaborate clock and later sees him there in her fantasies. In the first-class dining area, Thomas Andrews spends his last moments on board the ship gazing at a clock that is mounted above the fireplace mantel. Clocks illustrate the concepts of time and memory that have an impact on how the movie portrays an epic relationship that dates back 87 years.

The setting was set in 1912 Southampton, when 17-year-old first-class passenger Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), her fiancé Cal Hockley (Billy Zane), and her mother Ruth (Frances Fisher) boarded the Titanic.

The whole movie was set in the year 1912 except the present-day scenes and the opening and ending credits. It has a total length of three hours and fifteen minutes and the total length of the scenes where it took place in the ship itself was two hours and forty minutes.

The two hours and forty minutes was also the length of time it took for the real Titanic to actually sink. The director incorporated this to let the audience know the fear and horror the passengers must have felt when it actually sank.

The other setting was from the first and last scenes where we saw the future Rose talking in the camera in a different location: in an interview set which captured the idea that she survived and that she lived to tell the story of her love who died when the ship sank.

The Band

A potent metaphor for the strength of the human spirit in the face of impending calamity is the band playing on as the ship sinks. The sinking of the Titanic is a tragic event that exposes the moral fiber and integrity of its passengers, showing some to be brave and others to be cowardly, etc. The band’s choice to continue performing— even after the conductor gives them permission to leave—is evidence of how graciously they deal with the tragedy. The title of Randy Shilts’ 1987 AIDS book And the Band Played On was inspired by the narrative about the band playing until the very end, which is now widely known in popular culture.

This scene also occured in real life, when a band played and stayed until the end when the ship began sinking.

The Shipwreck

The movie switches to footage of the Titanic’s actual wreckage, which is currently submerged in the North Atlantic, after beginning with sepiatoned glimpses of the ship leaving Southampton. The shipwreck is a metaphor for time passing, the loss of lives, and the fading of the incident from public view. Given that he only has access to the dilapidated, seaweedcovered hull in which he seeks the Heart of the Ocean, Brock Lovett finds it difficult to empathize with the tragedy’s human component. He is only able to fully comprehend the emotional effect of the catastrophe when Rose’s memories bring the ship back to life in his and the viewers’ thoughts.

Water

The ocean and images of water in general stand in for the raging and uncontrollable forces of nature that destroy the Titanic and bring humanity to its knees. J. As the minutes of the second half of the movie pass, the water slowly rises through D-deck, then C-deck, then the entire ship, before swallowing it entirely. Bruce Ismay refuses to believe that the Titanic will sink below the water until Thomas Andrews tells him, “She’s made of iron, sir. I assure you she can.”

Flares

The Titanic sends flares into the air in the second half of the movie to warn nearby ships of their situation. The flares that explode in the sky behind Jack’s face as Rose is descending in a lifeboat create a bizarre and thrilling visual that perfectly reflects the emotional turmoil she must be experiencing as she is cut off from her true love.

Costume And Makeup

TIME PERIOD AND HIERARCHY:

The costume designer, Deborah Lynn Scott, and makeup artists put highlight in these two aspects.

As stated, this movie was set in 1912, all their costumes was tailored-fit to each and every characters. They incorporated the fashion during this period into their costumes.

They also considered the social status of each and every character. Take for example these main characters:

The male lead character who is an orphan, and an American artist with no money. He wore a simple thin collarless shirt with his usual corduroy trousers and boots, occasionally supplemented by an unstructured jacket and waistcoat. This types of clothing was common to people who are poor during these time period.

Rose Dewitt Bukater

The female lead character who is a member of the elite or those in the upper class. Since she was characterized as someone who is rich, her costumes were those that aristocrats wore: high-end looks made from expensive fabrics partnered with expensive jewelries, ladylike hat, and classic pumps. She also wore make-up that compliments her whole look. However, when we get to the last parts of the movie, we can infer that she has realized that money and status is nothing compared to love.

When Jack let go of Rose, it showed his undying love for her that he would do such in order to save her.