Titanic - 23 years on. Is now a horror movie.

[LadyGAgain]

In my late teens I excitedly watched Titanic collapsing in sobs at the end with the tragic love story. Went and watched it again the following week. Cried all the way through now aware of the tragic love story.

Fast forward 23 years. And I've just spent an evening watching again with my stomach in knots at the sheer horror of what happened. All those people. All that drowning. The injustice of the class system (keeping 3rd class locked up in a sinking ship). Watching a mammy tucking her wee children up to bed as the ship is going down. The frightened people. Wailing children. The chaos. The hopelessness.

I mean, as films go, it's breathtakingly well done. The special effects, acting, costumes, music etc. Every single one of those 11 Oscars well deserved. But, I have seen it through the eyes of a grown up now. I have my own DC. And the difference in what I took away has really stirred up a mixture of feelings in me.

I just wanted to share and write it down as I've spent the last 2 hours sobbing.

Well dear God don't watch the deleted scene where Cora drowns then, that really is traumatizing!

Ah, I’m sorry you’re upset. Somethings just do hit us harder as older adults or parents or whatever the scenario is that we’re seeing “anew”. I’m roundabout your age I think and I’ve only watched Titanic once, in the cinema - I had the opposite reaction to you on the love story vs tragedy element first time round. It’s a bloody tragic story, no matter what.

@FurrySlipperBoots

Well dear God don't watch the deleted scene where Cora drowns then, that really is traumatizing!

Mother O' God. Thank you for the warning

@NoSquirrels

Ah, I’m sorry you’re upset. Somethings just do hit us harder as older adults or parents or whatever the scenario is that we’re seeing “anew”. I’m roundabout your age I think and I’ve only watched Titanic once, in the cinema - I had the opposite reaction to you on the love story vs tragedy element first time round. It’s a bloody tragic story, no matter what.

You're so right! I'm putting this away in my "try to forget" memory box in my little brain. That's where Bambi lives.

I am having this same trauma. My son is currently obsessed by Titanic. The whole thing is just horrific. The more he (and therefore me by default) learns the worse it gets. Awful!

It was always the elderly couple that got me. And I think I’ve only seen it twice. But they’ve always stuck with me.

The gates being locked is a total fabrication. The third class passengers weren't locked in.

Oh, I agree. I rewatched it the other month and felt thoroughly flat and depressed afterwards; it was one of those 'I can't believe this actually happened in history' moments. So sad.

I've had this with other stuff that I watched as a clueless teen and laughed my silly head off at. Abigail's Party comes to mind. As a 15 year old I found it hilarious and full of catchphrases - me and a few friends gleefully trotted them out for years! But I saw it in my late twenties and found it really tragic and depressing, because I understood the awful social commentary with themes like domestic violence and social anxiety and (potential) adultery and suburban one-upmanship.

Having said all that, I saw it again on bbc4 last year and was wowed at how brilliant it was for characterisation and dialogue, and surprised to read that Mike Leigh hates it 😯

And a couple of us still call each other 'Sue' and variations thereof...

Valid point about Abigail's party. Very dark. Alison Steadman was wonderful in that role (and everything since).

@QuestionableMouse - obvs done for additional emotional trauma. Phew.

The elderly couple and the mammy and her small children are literally a frame apart and I agree, haunting.

@ElizabethTudor

It was always the elderly couple that got me. And I think I’ve only seen it twice. But they’ve always stuck with me.

The same here. When I watched this film last time, I understood that I got older as the line about this couple struck a nerve in me.

@LadyGAgain as a pp says The injustice of the class system (keeping 3rd class locked up in a sinking ship) this is utter lies and you should do your research before naively repeating this. Titanic was not a documentary.

@HopeClearwater . I am very aware that this is not a documentary. I am fairly well equipped in the intelligence stakes. Just because it's not 100% accurate doesn't make it any less upsetting - like lots of fictional stories. Like most films.

I’ve only ever seen it as an adult so it’s always been that for me. Sure, the romance helps temper it, but it’s always been about watching the tragedy unfold.

For me the real difference is watching pre and post kids. I used to love disaster films. The whole genre. The cheesier the better. Once I had a child, they lost their sparkle. Now they always make me a little depressed instead of making me feel a little triumphant.

I hear you @MixedUpFiles and I agree. Now with children of my own my perspective is very different and I definitely struggle more with things that affect children.

I watched it about a year ago for the first time in about 15 years and the bit where the mum is tucking her children in then telling them a story, really upset me as my daughter is about there age, kept thinking about it loads the next day. Never had that reaction when I saw at the cinema thought it was the best film ever!

But nobody ever thinks of the iceberg!

For some reason I found myself down the Titanic rabbit hole recently again, too. I study this particular period and am a geek for the finer details.

I never particularly cared for the Rose/Jack love story but even on the film's release was very conscious of the fact that most characters, outside of the two protagonists, her mother, the fiancé and his peculiar bodyguard, actually existed. The image of 'Thomas Andrews' waiting quietly in the lounge to meet his fate did me in even then.

I loved that the rendering of intricate period detail, costume and sets (although it's riddled with inaccuracies - Freud mentioned before he'd actually written that theory, a Picasso appearing before it was actually painted, anachronisms in music etc). Some issues were rightly controversial at the time. A PP mentioned the 3rd class were not locked up: it seems so many were convinced of the ship's invulnerability that by the time they finally ventured onto the boat deck, the lifeboats were gone. The footage of the one who shot the passenger (Murdoch) should never have been included. Some eye witness testimony suggests there might have been truth in that scene but it hurt his descendants and decency should have dictated it be left out.

Harold Bride, the second Marconi operator survived by a wave from a falling funnel sweeping him off on the underside of a lifeboat. He was one of the last off the ship. According to him, 'Songe d'Automne' (incidentally a beautiful tune) was the last song the orchestra played, not 'Nearer my God to Thee', although that one made for a more emotive story. The wireless operators were brave and kept up with the distress signal until the end (the other sadly died).

I can't conceive of the terror those passengers and crew just have felt in being on that ship at the end. When Googling the music I found footage in 'real time' of how long the sinking took and what exactly happened after the initial impact. That truly brought it home to me, and has stuck with me.

Your interest and knowledge is admirable @MarieIVanArkleStinks . And you raise very valid points. I had not thought about the impact some of the "creative" would have had on ancestors.

I am glad I have not watched the film. I remember in 2012 Andrew Marr being critical of how the centenary was being marked, and perhaps he had a valid point.

I first saw it as a young teen and only ever saw it as a disaster/horror movie.

I sobbed real hot tears at how horrific it was and remember thinking “why are we watching this with popcorn?”.

For me, the old British film "A Night to Remember" with Kenneth More is ten times more haunting and hard hitting.

I get it out every so often (not many times) and each time it hits me so, so hard. By the time the credits roll I can't stop the tears.

@SatsumasOrClementines

I first saw it as a young teen and only ever saw it as a disaster/horror movie.

I sobbed real hot tears at how horrific it was and remember thinking “why are we watching this with popcorn?”.

Me too! Exactly. I was thinking, how is this entertainment?

I had the same thing but with Schindler's List . Watched it many years ago with school . Saw it on Netflix the other day and it's stayed with me since .

I feel like this about all the war films. Just utterly horrific.