The Titanic - Depth of the Heart of the Ocean Essay -- Movie Film Ess

The Titanic - Depth of the Heart of the Ocean "Ahh, open your heart to me, Rose," pleads Caledon Hockley of the young Rose in James Cameron's film, Titanic, just after he gives her a most expensive diamond. The actor Billy Zane plays Hockley as a callous, jaded, been-there-done- that sophisticate who seems to want her heart simply because he believes it is for sale and he has a right to it. His blindness to higher motives in love totally disqualifies him from being worthy of Rose DeWitt Bukater, played by Kate Winslet. But perhaps it is also the opaque nature of love itself that defeats him. This scene between Hockley and Rose is one of several ways in which Cameron develops the idea of the closed heart and the effort to open it. The profound ocean, the massive ship, and the impenetrable gem are elements of the setting that parallel and reinforce each other and Cameron’s theme. Throughout the plot, they are all alike unfathomable, indomitable, yielding to the mastery of no mere mortal. As such, they capture the image of a person's heart being opaque, not easy to read or see through. The midnight blue color throughout suggests that the heart of love is as profound, deep and moving as the ocean itself. The gem drives the plot, then, and serves as the central symbol carrying the message. The elderly Rose narrates the story, casting the film in a flashback format. She asks a question about a gem named "Le Coeur de la Mer," the French title for "The Heart of the Ocean." It is this diamond that the modern salvage crew seeks at the start of the film. Their quest takes them to the wreck of the ship Titanic which sank on April 15, 1912, and wh... ...help for pain" (577). Cameron echoed that sentiment in his acceptance speech when he said that love is the strongest force in the world. Anyone who engages it, then, will triumph to the extent that his or her strength of character is as true, deep, and profound as the ocean itself. Sources Cited Arnold, Matthew. "Dover Beach." Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th ed. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 576-7. Cameron, James, Dir. Titanic. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, 1997. ---. 55th Annual Golden Globe Awards. VH-1 -- 38, San Antonio.18 January 1998. ---. "The Making of Titanic." Oprah. KMOL -- 4, San Antonio. 20 January 1998. "Clare Reviews Titanic." 1/11/98. 3/18/98. http://www.girlsonfilm.com/film/navigation