There are some
great perks that come with working in the radio industry. One of them is having access to tickets to
advanced movie screenings before their actual release date. I can remember being at a Showcase Cinema in
December, 1997 and my Top-40 radio station had secured six theatres for
advanced screenings of Titanic. Like
most people in attendance, our expectations were simply that we were going to
watch a movie about the boat that sank in April, 1912. Looking back, I don’t think I even knew, or
cared, that Leonardo DiCaprio was part of the cast. What I do remember clearly about that night
was how emotionally moved I was. Yes, I
was one of the many in the theatre that couldn’t get out of my seat because I was
crying so hard at the end. Did I not
know the ship was going to sink? Of
course I did, but did I know that Jack and Rose would form such a bond in just
a few short days that had me in love with their love? Absolutely not.
Seeing the
movie centered around a cruise ship, there was no surprise to see different
classes. Modern-day ships have clear
distinctions of wealth. Balcony cabins
vs inside state rooms, and even options for suites on most cruise lines. However, I didn’t realize the examples of the
Marxist perspective until properly analyzing it through study. One of my all-time favorite quotes that exemplifies
Marxist theory is when Ruth asks if the lifeboats will be seated according to
class and Rose responds with, “Oh Mother, shut up! Don’t you understand? The water is freezing and there aren’t enough
boats. Not enough by half. Half the people on this ship are going to die”. The nail in the coffin regarding “class”
comes when Cal pipes in and says “Not the better half.”.
So, when I travel
on my next cruise and I’m sitting on my private balcony, reading a book or enjoying
my morning coffee that was delivered by room service, should I be thinking
about the wide range of classes that are on the ship? From the kitchen staff to stateroom stewards
to those with inside cabins on Deck Two, should I concern myself with thoughts
of social and economical class struggles and differences?
I have to say, you beat me to the "Titanic" punch! While going through this module, I thought of this very scene, where Ruth asks if lifeboats are seated according to class. I must admit, I truly love the movie, and get the urge to watch it every few months (though in reality I probably only actually watch it every other year). That said, I have always thought the script had some extremely cringe-y dialogue. However, I DO think that Cal's line "Not the better half" is perfectly delivered. It shows clearly the arrogance of the character all because of his financial and social status. I also like how Cal has his money thrown back at him when he tries to bribe his way off the sinking ship. I think it does an effective job at showing how wealth and status may get you some things in life, but ultimately, a rich person and a poor person are no better or worse off in some situations. I feel like some movies with these themes are a little on the nose in those moments, where a poor or lowly person offers food or a blanket to the previously-well off person who is now no better than the people they looked down on earlier.
ReplyDeleteI liked your post, I think you described things really well!