Whether you like this movie's story line or not there's no denying it, it's spectacular! My daughter had never seen it and watching it again with her was quite an experience.
Like most people I have a few phobias which I will not enumerate here but one, if you can call it that, is the total sense of horror and fright I get every time I see a ship submerged. This started in my teens after seeing a picture in a book of a ship burning and sinking. Feelings of dread got to an almost crazy point when they found the wreckage of Titanic on September 1st 1985 and started to show images of the doomed sea liner on television. The first time I saw some of the footage my breathing stopped and I felt as if my heart was going to explode inside my chest.
When Titanic came out in theatres I didn't go see it. Family members aware of my uneasiness warned me about the underwater footage but even if they hadn't told me about these scenes I wouldn't have gone. The movie came out in 1997 but I think I only saw it three years later for the first time. I believe last night was my third and it will likely be my last. I know a lot about Titanic but will forgo the history lesson. Just Google the name and you will be flooded with information. A good place to start is Wikipedia with the entry RMS Titanic.
So as mentioned watching it with Catherine was quite an experience. At first she didn't want to see it, she already knew about the Jack and Rose storyline and since she's not much into romance she was not really interested. What grabbed her attention were those first underwater images, the ones I can't watch! I was in the hallway watching her watching those scenes and I was fascinated by her fascination!
Once these were out of the way I sat down with her and since I had seen it already I took more notice of the makeup, fashion and also of the demeanor of the characters. Did you know that for the dining room scenes all received etiquette lessons? They clearly wanted everything to be perfect.
From the movie, Kate Winslet as Rose, as she sees Titanic for the first time.
Fashion and makeup...
... Almost perfect! I say almost due to Kate Winslet's mascara smeared face at the beginning of the movie, right after Jack convinces her not to jump ship. Back in 1912, the use of rouge for cheeks and lips was regarded as acceptable if applied lightly but eye makeup was in it's infancy and was more prevalent in theatre circles. It's doubtful that a young aristocratic lady such as Rose would have used any even if she had made a stop at Selfridge's in London. The grand store had launched the first "cosmetics counter" in 1909 but it was more a skin care and fragrances affair than makeup per say. Except for this scene, the actress' makeup is stunning throughout the movie and the same goes for the rest of the women characters.
Although the film is full of minute contradictions of history which in a way are not surprising considering the grand scale of the production it's still gives a relatively accurate glimpse of the society of the day.
Titanic, the pride of the White Star Line became the most famous ship in the world on the night of April 15 1912. Out of the 2,224 passengers and crew she carried, it is thought that between 1,490 and 1,634 perished. It was seen as the end of innocence of the Industrial Revolution. Men who thought they were invincible and could conquer anything came to the blunt realisation that things could go horribly wrong.
At the end of the movie Catherine said to me: "Mom, Titanic sank on April 15 and you were born on April 13, do you think there's a link?"...
What caught my attention this week...
What's the Best Foundation For My Skin Type? Beautiful With Brains. Gio explains to us why some formulas suit some skin types better than other.
MAC Wedding Trousseau Service, British Beauty Blogger. Jane tells us about a new service available at Harrod's. Will it cross over to North America or maybe it's here already and I didn't know about it?
One Stitch Face Lift: Silouette Soft Lift Review, British Beauty Blogger. Afraid of knives? This, like Jane I would totally do.
Blogging Etiquette: Are You Doing The Right Thing When It Comes To Social Media? Independent Fashion Bloggers by Julia DiNardo. I'm sorry but I didn't take note of who tweeted this article yesterday.
For your viewing enjoyment...
How many times has this song played on the radio? Enough to really get sick of it I know! All I can say is that after seeing the movie last night, the lyrics have taken a different meaning to me and I appreciate it more.
Have a great week everyone! Hélène xoxo
