Titanic Feminism

Don’t tell anyone — but I turned 30 today!

Last night, to celebrate the last day in my 20s, I went to see Titanic in 3D. Twelve years ago when Titanic first came out I was just about to turn 18. It just seemed appropriate!

I loved this film the first time around, and in 3D it was even better.

Somehow though — probably through all the sobbing that accompanied my first trip to watch Titanic twelve years ago — I missed that the main female character, Rose (Kate Winslet), is kind of kick ass. In that way that James Cameron female leads often are I guess!

In a world dominated by arrogant, male a-holes, Rose (quite literally at one point) gives them the finger and sets about fighting her corner whilst punching or spitting at any man who gets in her way.

Even when her man dies beside her, she takes a moment to feel the pain of it and then lets him sink into the depths in order to dive across the water and rip a whistle from another dead man’s lips to summon a returning lifeboat back to rescue her.

When faced with arrival in America with no money or contacts she doesn’t jump back into the security of life with her evil fiance Cal (Billy Zane), she hides from him and gives a false name determined to start a new life true to the person she has become since knowing Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio). And all this from a girl who at the beginning of the film has probably never even made herself a cup of tea before.

So looking back at Titanic from the lofty heights of 30-years-old what have I found? That the character of Rose is not so dissimilar from that famed feminist icon of Cameron’s creation; Sarah Connor. Both are just normal young women that, under pressure, show they are capable of resilience, courage and strength in order to protect the people they love.

Rose Dewitt-Bukater; the Feminist. Who would have thought it?

Contact the author here: jmw@morningquickie.com