The Perfect Storm and the Titanic are both films that are based on true events; they also contain fictional plots and characters.

Authors Avatar

English Coursework- moving image texts.

Lee-Anne Wheeler

The Perfect Storm and the Titanic are both films that are based on true events; they also contain fictional plots and characters. This combination of fact and fiction is the main reason for these accounts becoming films rather than documentaries or other information based programme, as it includes an extra area of interest into the film which would usually be flat because of the droning historical backgrounds. To increase the tension and sympathy felt by the audience at each climatic ending, the directors both use the fictional plots. They take this fact and fiction as a n advantage, and because of this both plots are based on romance, and the people involved around the love. In the case of Jack and Rose, their love creates more tension and sympathy at the ending because it is a forbidden love across the class boundaries of rich and poor, but which seems to be so strong. Bobby and Kristina’s love is open and strong. By using these romantic liaisons and including many biographical details throughout the films, it increases the depth of the emotions felt by the audience. This is clearly seen in the Perfect Storm when as the ship is beginning to sink and the camera is showing clips of the crew below deck, Murphy says to the person he is with, ‘this is gonna be hard on my son.’ This has a direct impact on the audience as earlier in the film he tried to explain to his son that: his mother might remarry or get a new partner; then he would be his father as well; the young boy does not like this idea and wants his father to stay. Because of this knowledge from earlier in the film it also makes the audience sad for the families of the dead because in the end the only reason they were going was because they wanted to bring in money for their families, but the skipper only wanted to go to bring up his weights in the fish market.

Join now!

Due to both these films developing from actual events, it is crucial for both of these films settings to be fully detailed to add emphasis to the authenticity and credibility of the films. Titanic was an extremely expensive film because of the directors adhering themselves completely to the effect authenticity could have on a film and the way it would make the fictional plot more plausible. The characters were attired in costumes of the period, also the quality of the clothes the actors wore was different to help enforce the class boundaries and the forbidden love between Jack and ...

This is a preview of the whole essay