A
Discussion on the film, "Titanic"
Hosted by Dramatica
Online Instructor SANDY STONE
[NOTE: The following
is a correspondence from the Dramatica Online course led by Sandy Stone.]
Hi Everyone,
Well, a lot has
happened with regard to the movie "Titanic" since I first
proposed this optional assignment back in January. It sat atop the box
office for an unprecedented 15 weeks, becoming the highest-grossing
film in the history of the world, and it garnered 11 Oscars--tying "Ben
Hur" for the most ever--including Best Picture, which resulted
in a new catch-phrase being entered into our culture: "I'm King
of the World! Woo-woo!"
(As of the week
this document was completed, "Titanic" was still in the Top
10 on the box office chart after 5 months of release, having grossed
$577 million domestically. It's made over a billion internationally.)
It has also been
in the middle of an interesting controversy involving certain newspaper
critics and other naysayers vs. James Cameron and his legions of fans
regarding the quality of the script. (Even on Screenplay System's own
Dramatica website, an expert in the theory denounces the movie's script
as "unseaworthy" ... a review and analysis which, by the way,
I do not agree with.)
I find it strange
that Mr. Cameron has found himself so much on the defensive. It must
be a backlash--a sentiment that anything or anyone so hugely successful
MUST be overrated. (But come on, why spend so much time bashing HIM
while Hollywood continues to throw obscene amounts of money at much
more dubious scripts?) Is it possible that Cameron did EVERYTHING right
in making this movie, EXCEPT for the story?
Of course, we are
here to discuss this movie in terms of Dramatica, and we are here to
render opinions, not pass judgment in favor or against. But in order
to analyze such a work, a consensus has to be reached on the question,
Does the story work? Is there a functional, identifiable storyform,
and if so, what is it?
Huge box office
success, as we've seen in recent history, does not necessarily mean
there's a functional storyform at the center of a movie -- witness "Men
In Black", "The Lost World", "Independence Day",
etc., etc. (I haven't seen "Godzilla" yet, but I bet it fits
in that category too). Even a sweep of the Oscars doesn't guarantee
a properly storyformed movie. But when you've got both commercial AND
critical success, with people of all ages of both genders going back
again and again, something's going on.
My contention is,
that "Titanic" is indeed a well-formulated story with a structurally
sound (even "seaworthy") storyform ... you just have to look
at it the right way! True, maybe the dialog is not as subtle and refined
as some may prefer, but that's not what Cameron was going for -- as
he wrote to the L.A. Times, this is a movie that "wears its heart
on its sleeve." If you take the movie for what it is, putting aside
personal tastes and biases that could skew your analysis, everything
just might fall into place.
Of course, that's
only my opinion.
Before I go on and
on about what I think, I want to share the contributions of those students
who rendered their own opinions about the storyform of "Titanic".
But before I even do that, let me remind you of what the assignment
was about. The original message is as follows:
Hello Class,
I'd like to
propose an optional assignment for anyone who wishes to participate.
I've just seen "Titanic", and it reminds me of the discussion
we had recently about the nature of archetypal characters in a Mind
domain Objective Story (my e-mail dated 12/17/97).
If you've
seen or are about to see "Titanic", I'd like to hear your
thoughts about the following issues:
1. The Objective
Story Domain & Goal. Obviously I've tipped my hand already that
I think the OS Domain is in "Mind", so if you agree, please
illustrate the OS throughline in terms of "Mind". If you
disagree, make an argument for whichever Domain you think the Objective
Story is in (Universe, Physics or Psychology), and describe the throughline
in those terms.
Also, try
to determine the Objective Story Concern (e.g., Subconscious, Learning,
Past, Being, etc.)--making sure it's consistent with your Domain choice--then
illustrate the Objective Story Goal in terms of that Concern.
2. Objective
Characters. Are the characters Archetypal, or Complex? Or a mixture
of both? Whom do you see as the Protagonist (or IS there an archetypal
Protagonist, or is there more than one?), and how would you define
that person's (or persons') goal? (The Protagonist's goal is the same
as the OS Goal above, but emphasizing the terms "Pursue"
and "Consider".)
How would
you assign all the Motivation elements (of which there are 16) among
the characters? (There may be overlaps and hand-offs, so some things
could be confusing--just make the assignments that seem most apparent
to you.)
3. Storyform.
If you have specific thoughts about what the storyform is for "Titanic",
or even just PARTS of the storyform (MC Domain, OS Problem, etc.),
please share them.
Remember,
there are no right or wrong answers, only opinions. I'll give you
mine after you give me yours. And by way, like your questions but
unlike your homework, I'll be sharing what you write for this assignment
with the entire class.
Oh, and...this
will not affect your grade. <:)
Sandy
P.S. Let me
clarify something: The movie "Titanic" is bookended by a
"mini-story" where Brock (Bill Paxton) serves as the Main
Character and the elderly Rose is the Obstacle Character. It has its
own separate storyform, so let's disregard that part of the movie
in our discussion. Let's stick to the story that involves the youthful
Rose (Kate Winslet).
Okay, here we
go. Marios C. of the U.K. contributes the following:
"Objective
Story Domain - Mind:
It's obviously
about the rigid manners of the era and the fixed attitudes regarding
class and social status. There's also the fixed opinion that the Titanic
itself is unsinkable.
I would say Rose
is the Protagonist (as well as the Main Character) and her goal is
to break free from the enslavement and conditioning of her family
and class. This 'instinctive response' to follow Jack, rather than
go along with the wedding as planned, is what causes the problems
for the other characters (Concern/Goal the Preconscious?).
We see her rebelling
against the way she is supposed to behave (or respond). She smokes
a cigarette at the dinner table despite her mother's protests; she
joins Jack for a party in the lower decks; allows him to draw her
in the nude etc. We see Rose's sadness as she watches a young child
being taught table manners (being conditioned to act in a certain
way from an early age?)
Jack is her Obstacle
Character, as he's the one encouraging her to follow her heart/instincts
rather than the expected ways of behaving. She can't answer Jack when
he asks her whether she loves Cal; he teaches her how to spit; At
the party in the lower decks, when she tells Jack she can't dance,
Jack tells her "don't think". Even while dying in the icy
waters, Jack is urging her into living.
Later in the film,
we see how she is adopting this new paradigm (of using her instinctive
responses). When Jack asks her how she knew that he hadn't stolen
the diamond, she replies: "I didn't. I realised I already knew".
In another scene, she decides to leave Cal and go with Jack once they
reach America:
Rose: "I'm
getting off with you"
Jack: "that's
crazy"
Rose: "It
doesn't make sense. That's why I trust it".
Also there's the
scene when her instincts tell her that Cal is lying abouthis 'arrangement'
and she gets off the lifeboat.
Here are some
thoughts on the other Objective Characters:
Molly Brown
(Kathy Bates) - Support.
Molly is seen
supporting both Jack and Rose. She supports Rose when Cal orders
dinner for her ("are you going to cut her meat for her as well?");
she supports Jack with dressing for dinner; proper use of cutlery;
points out the spit on his chin; commends Rose's rescue ("you
sound like a good man to have around in a tight spot"). Later,
she supports the idea of the lifeboat going back for more survivors.
Thomas Andrews/ship's
architect (Victor Garber) - Guardian (Conscience/Help)
He tells Rose
about the lack of lifeboats early on in the story; he later warns
her that the ship will sink in an hour and also tells her where
Jack is being held captive. He is seen helping passengers with life-jackets
and is concerned when the boat's aren't being filled up to their
fullcapacity).
Cal Hockley
(Billy Zane) - Control/Temptation
To him Rose
is just another possession to be controlled ("get you hands
off MY
fiance"). He chooses diner for her and tries to tempt her with
the diamond
(later he tries to buy his way onto a lifeboat).
Spicer Lovejoy
(David Warner) - Hinder
He stops Jack
entering the dining hall to speak to Rose; plants the diamond
on him; handcuffs
him etc.
Rose's Mother
- Oppose/Reconsider/Avoid
She oppose Rose
seeing Jack and tries to make her reconsider; she's trying
to avoid bankruptcy
"now that all the money is gone".
As for Rose's
resolve, she is a CHANGE Main Character. She starts off enslaved
by her class and in a loveless relationship and ends by renouncing
her class (taking
the name of Dawson), and as the photographs show, going on
to live a happy life.
Phew! As always
I look forward to your response. This has been a fun exercise
even though I'm sure I'm way off the mark with a lot of what I've
written.
Many thanks
Marios."
SS: Thank YOU, Marios.
Very good analysis, and very thorough. I see you're leaning toward Preconscious
as the Objective Story Concern/Story Goal, but are not certain of it.
Also, you seem to be describing Jack's impact as Obstacle Character
in terms of Physics, without specifically saying so ("Jack tells
her 'don't think'").
One further note:
I see that you identify Rose as the Protagonist, but I notice that you
don't have Jack Dawson listed anywhere among the Objective Characters.
Remember that the Obstacle Character will always fulfill a role in Objective
Story. What could that be in Jack's case? Hmm, what could that be...
Kay P., also of
England, posits:
"THE TITANIC
Objective Story
Domain - I believe is Mind. There is a fixed attitude within all the
objective characters that the Titanic cannot sink. It dictates their
attitudes and reactions. When the premise is discovered to be false
(something the audience already know) then this gives rise to the
climax of panic.
Putting this through
the software I find the following:-
The Objective
Story Goal is the subconscious - this I take to be Rose's desire (I
think she is the Protagonist) to break free of her restrictions. (We
see her watch the little girl at table with her mother being carefully
controlled.) This Rose achieves so the outcome is Good for her.
The Objective
Story Concern is also the Subconscious - and the link between all
the objective characters is their desire to survive (I think). Some
fight to do so, some can't face it without loved ones, some give up
etc.
Looking at the
other Domains:
The Main Character
Domain (I take this to be Rose) is Physics - doing things. Rose tries
to throw herself off the ship, she goes down below into the hold with
Jack, she poses for him in the nude - she seems to lead by doing things.
The Obstacle Character
Domain is Psychology - I think Jack is the obstacle character but
I am shot through with self doubt here. He prevents her throwing herself
off the boat, he prevents her dying in the sea by giving her the will
to live. Jack's philosophy on life is that he sees no boundaries (no
class difference) between himself and Rose. His attitude makes it
possible for them to have a relationship.
The Subjective
Story Domain is Universe. The limitations of the ship throw them together.
Provide the situation in which their relationship will develop."
SS: Very good, Kay!
Although I think there's a reason you have doubt about Jack as Obstacle
Character being in Psychology (which is what the Dramatica model predicts
if you put the Main Character in Physics). I will clarify my viewpoint
later on, but I want everyone to remember one thing that so many seem
to forget so often: Just because a person takes a few actions every
now and then, don't automatically tag them as a Physics character --
or even as a Do-er! All the time I watch experienced Dramatica users
see a character take one physical action and say, "Oh, they're
a Do-er!" But by this way of thinking, the only "Be-er"
stories that can exist are ones about characters who never get out of
bed!
Think about something:
WHY is Rose taking all those actions (dancing in steerage, posing in
the nude, jumping off the lifeboat)? If Jack had never entered the picture,
would she have EVER been inclined to do such wild & crazy things?
Remember when picking throughlines to think of the Main Character as
her original self, unaffected by the Obstacle Character, and then look
at the Obstacle Character in terms of his IMPACT on the Main Character.
It's important to tell the difference between those two things...
Lee T. of New York
writes:
"1.THE MIND.
This is a story about people struggling for survival and the focus
is on their mindful successes and failings as the encounter disaster.
Subconsciously the characters are pursuing dreams. Rose is being forced
into catering to Cal's dream (a phony love affair) for the purpose
of solving her mother's financial problems which is her mother's dream.
Jack's hopes have a chance at being realized although most people
view his interest in Rose as unrealistic. But Rose is saved by Jack's
hopes and his confidence. Soon worries amongst the characters begin
insidiously about the planned marriage and the safety of the ship.
Then the fears become conscious. Cal and Roses mother won't relent
and the ship can't change course fast enough to avoid disaster.. The
ship sinks and the characters show their true colors. Rose remains
steadfast in her love for Jack. She changes from a freezing inertia
and whistles. One boatload finally mobilizes the will to rescue survivors.
2. Mixture. Protagonist:
Jack Goal: Memory Jack wants to be with Rose through her memory.
The explorers
want to listen to her memories.
3. Universe: Subjective
Physics: Opposition
(Jack)
Mind: Objective
Psychology: Main
Character (Rose)"
SS: I was right
there with you, Lee, when you were talking about Subconscious, Hopes
and Dreams! But then you show the Goal as Memory. Remember that the
Objective Story Concern and the Story Goal share the same dynamic. You
describe pretty well the concerns of all the characters in terms of
Subconscious. But then you also have to describe the Story Goal (which
is slightly different, and ideally should be ONE THING) also in terms
of Subconscious. We'll talk more about that later.
Okay, for the identity
of the Protagonist, so far we have two votes for Rose and one vote for
Jack. Getting interesting...
Prish F. from Oregon
recruited her Dramatica buddy to share in this assignment. (Hmm, a buddy
system sounds like a great idea! May help keep you from drowning in
a sea of Dramatica concepts... [Phew! Yet another Titanic pun!])
"Dear Sandy,
Here are just
a FEW notes on Titanic. ... Where we disagree I put our names.
Maryanne-objective
story--everybody on the ship is trapped, contained to travel
to America. The
Girl is trapped in an arranged marriage. Man against nature story.
She wants her freedom
and everyone when the ship crashes wants their freedom
Prish-objective
story--This is a journey to America and the ship travels in
two classes that
cannot come together except when Molly Brown advises the boy.
Somehow the ship story also parallels this in that it breaks apart
and Molly is out
in the water trying to talk everyone into going back for survivors
and no one listens.-- girl
main character and protagonist of titanic story--considering the worth
of her present
life
- girl's goal
is to find a live she wants to live--prish
- girl's goal
is to have her freedom-maryanne
- boy may be
a protagonist in his own story--goal is going to America--pursuing
new life
- girl is emotion
- boy is reason--maryanne--control
logic
- ship designer
as reason--control logic--prish
- fiancee is
antagonist to the boy and girl
- Molly archtypical
guardian for boy's story-help and conscience
- boy was guardian
for girl--complex
- the whole upper
class section caught in laksidasial ways was skeptic disbelief
- sidekick-fiancees
servant , support and faith (was sounding board for antagonist)
and musicians-support
- mother is contagonist
to girl
- servant to
fiancee was contagonist to boy
Emotionally and
first instinct makes the story seem a universe domain. When
I look at definitions in the theory book, 'love' is a mind domain.
Oh, this is so
difficult...
Prish F."
SS: Aha! There seems
to be a split vote between Rose and Jack as the Protagonist! But isn't
it interesting that you identify Cal Hockley (the fiancé) as
being the Antagonist to BOTH the boy and the girl? (I'll clarify what
I'm getting at later.)
I think it's notable
that Maryanne observed that Objectively speaking, this is a "Man
against nature story," and that all the characters "want their
freedom." You didn't assign Dramatica appreciations to these concepts,
but they are consistent with "Mind" (attitudes) as an OS Domain,
and "Subconscious" (drives & desires) as an OS Concern.
(And Prish, when you look at "love", you're looking at the
Subjective Story, which resides in Universe when the OS is in Mind.
So I think a combination of your first and second instincts is the ticket.
[By the way, "love" can exist in ANY domain.])
Something else I
want to make note of: You guys observe that Molly Brown plays Guardian
to the boy, but that Jack plays Guardian to the girl. This speaks to
a confusion of concepts that happens a lot in the world of Dramatica.
When you have a "Change" Main Character with a "Good"
outcome in her personal story, that means you have a Steadfast Obstacle
Character who represents the more correct path or paradigm. Thus, it
is very easy to mistake the Obstacle Character for a Guardian. SOMETIMES
the OC is also the Guardian (as in "Star Wars"), but the object
here is to separate the roles the characters play in the Objective side
of the story from what they represent in the Subjective side--one is
more "logistical" and one is more "emotional". But
also we need to identify where the two viewpoints link up. In a Change/Good
story, the OC will represent what the MC needs to learn, which is the
element shown as MC Solution. That element should also be reflection
of the OC's Objective role. (This is the "OC Crucial Element",
which Dramatica 3.0 incorporates in the Build Characters window.) In
this story I don't think that element is either Conscience or Help.
I'll tell you later what I think it is.
Lisa F. of Connecticut
has this to say:
"Although
we said we would skip discussing the bookend storyform I have a few
things to say about
it anyway. Mainly that I went into the film a little skeptical
about there being much value to a "framing" story. I mean,
here's this
true event--the sinking of the unsinkable ship--which already is a
perfect example
of the classical notion of hubris, so why clutter it up with extra
storylines? And
the whole idea of using a framing story, which in medieval
romance terms would
be called a "conceit," can be a very old-fashioned,
hackneyed, and
dated approach to narration.
It doesn't come
across that way in "Titanic." For one thing, the story of
Brock, the present-day
treasure hunter whose attitude is challenged by "old Rose,"
very cleverly makes it possible to tell the recollection part of the
story without a
lot of pauses to explain why and how the ship sank. Everybody
gets the little
lesson in the mechanics of the sinking when Rose gets shown the
computer simulation.
The bookend storyform
links to the main story both structurally (failure/good) and
thematically (value vs. worth and probably also knowledge vs. thought)
and is in
large part responsible for the mostly optimistic feeling of the ending.
(A pretty good trick for a movie in which a thousand people drown...)
When we see
old Rose surrounded by her framed photos--Rose riding horses, Rose
flying airplanes,
Rose with lots of people, Rose with her children--we know that she
really did go on
to LIVE.
Enough on that
then. Here's my take on the 12 essential questions:
Character dynamics:
Change/Start/Do-er/Female
Plot dynamics:
Decision/Optionlock/Failure/Good
Theme Dynamics:
Mind/Preconscious/Value/Unproven
The objective
story throughline for Titanic IS in Mind--there are good arguments
for Physics but mind is better/more interesting. The fatal attitude
(keeping in mind
the failure outcome) could be phrased as being that the ship
cannot sink, but
I think it is broader than that, more like that the value/worth
of something can be determined by external factors like size or
expense or that
it is possible to "judge a book by its cover." The Titanic
was the
biggest and most expensive, but that it was unsinkable was unproven,
untested. This
point gets doubled in the way the characters are portrayed--the
most privileged
do not necessarily prove themselves to be the most honorable or
good.
The subjective
story is in Universe, not a hard stretch when we have a rich
girl/poor boy love
story and two characters in the same boat (literally) once
disaster strikes.
The MC is in Physics:
though rather unpracticed at Doing, it is Rose's real nature.
Rose's choice of a suicide attempt (as opposed to attempting to
manipulate her
mother) shows this early on. She gets better at doing as things
move along (the
girl we meet at the beginning couldn't have chopped Jack's
handcuffs off with
the ax).
The OC--Jack--is
in Psychology--he's a Be-er, playing a series of roles in his
life, the romantic
artist, the free spirit, the appropriate dinner guest....He
becomes quite steadfast
in his role as Rose's lover-savior, though.
The archetypal
characters are a little hard to assign--there are so many characters.
Who, for example, is the antagonist? The steamship company,
distilled in the
person of Ismay, urging the captain to go too fast? Or the
same steamship
company as the entity that puts too-few lifeboats on board
because "they
made the deck look too cluttered?" The same steamship company
that embodies all
the wrongheaded ideas about class and privilege? This works
pretty well for
the big picture. James Cameron has said in interviews that he
viewed the ship
as a microcosm of world society, with the steerage class representing
the undeveloped nations and the upper crust being the more
privileged, progress
oriented countries....
But, back to archetypes:
The nasty fiance and his excessively nasty manservant make
a good antagonist/contagonist team in the subjective story--but what
are they
doing carrying out objective roles in the subjective story? A kind
of doubling
goes on because the scale is so large. There are two guardians: The
unsinkable Molly
Brown acts as Jack's guardian/fairy godmother in the Cinderella/Romeo
& Juliet part of the story and later is the conscience of the
objective story
when she urges the lifeboats to turn around. Jack himself becomes
Rose's guardian, saving her, as old Rose says, "in every possible
way."
What else? Some
of the appreciations are a little hard to find good illustrations
for. Cameron has to be very economical with the subjective story
to fit in the large-scale
action of the objective. With the latter he's a photo-realist
and with the former he's an impressionist, giving us just enough
to "connect
the dots." So, the stifling of Rose's spirit gets drawn swiftly,
with her mother
pulling her corset tight, and then tighter. We're supposed to
suspend disbelief
for the things that are a little hard to swallow--like her
distress at seeing
the small girl being strictly schooled in table manners, so
like herself. This
is poignant, but is this enough to justify her impulsive sprint
down the deck to the suicide gesture at the rail?
One more sour
note: The dialogue isn't all that memorable (yes, I agree, Sandy,
that it is better
than the usual stuff in big-budget disaster films). However,
it is mostly plausible.
I liked the fact that Rose doesn't know quite what to say
to Jack when he speaks very plainly to her. Her thin excuse for remaining
to talk with him
and view his sketches was well done. But earlier when Jack
says he'll jump
in after Rose and she says, "The fall alone would kill you"--it
IS a too-strong
echo of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and their presence
isn't wanted in
this story.
But that aside,
I think do the visual storytelling is superb. It carries all
sorts of thematic
freight. There's the lovely point-counterpoint between the
overscaled technology
seen in the engine room and the work of human hands (Cameron's
own hands) sketching Rose, or Rose's own hand smearing the steam on
the automobile
window as she and Jack make love. That small human hand against
the watery glass
is a slick forewarning, too....
I could go on,
but this is probably more than enough for my part of the discussion!
As ever,
Lisa"
SS: Thanks, Lisa,
very well presented. Although you make some points that I don't completely
agree with, you support them with strong arguments.
Some comments I've
already made are also applicable here (Jack as Guardian, etc.), but
I do want to bring up the Do-er/Be-er issue again. Something you wrote
is very illuminating: "Though rather unpracticed at Doing, it is
Rose's real nature." You are absolutely right. No one would argue
that Rose has an indomitable spirit that is just aching to burst forth.
Problem is, she was raised to be a passive, submissive woman. She was
never given the tools to just go out and make things happen to her heart's
content -- not until she falls under Jack's influence. It is my contention
therefore that ROSE IS A DO-ER IN A BE-ER'S BODY. What does that portend
storyform-wise? The Dramatica storyform deals with the story's ARGUMENT,
which is an assertion that "such-n-such is a better path to follow
than such-n-such." My belief is, that FOR THE SAKE OF THE STORY'S
ARGUMENT, Rose ought to be tagged a Be-er.
Let me bring up
more of what you wrote, Lisa, to support my argument: "Rose's choice
of a suicide attempt (as opposed to attempting to manipulate her mother)
shows this early on." But what is a suicide attempt other than
a manipulation? When Rose runs across the deck and threatens to throw
herself overboard, how is she affecting the external, physical environment?
She is not--she is affecting the internal environment of attitudes and
manners of thinking. Suicide threats are a cry for help, a manipulation
-- and in what class do manipulators belong? In Psychology. I also need
to point out that Psychology characters not only manipulate others,
but allow themselves to be manipulated. Rose clearly lets her mother
and her fiancé mess with her mind -- in the beginning, that is,
before Jack comes along and helps to release the Do-er spirit within.
You continue to write: "She gets better at doing as things move
along (the girl we meet at the beginning couldn't have chopped Jack's
handcuffs off with the ax)." Again, what is the nature of the story's
argument? The argument made is that Rose needs to stop involving herself
with psychological manipulations and learn, from Jack's influence, to
take more direct action in her external environment in order to find
happiness.
Let me refer back
to something Marios said above: "At the party in the lower decks,
when she tells Jack she can't dance, Jack tells her 'don't think'."
That right there
covers one of the major points I wanted to address regarding the storyform
for "Titanic". Before I go further with my own analysis, let
me sum up what everybody thought.
1. The Objective
Story Domain & Goal: Everyone pretty much agrees the Objective
Story resides in Mind. As for Story Goal/OS Concern, the votes are split
this way:
Preconscious --
2
Subconscious --
2 1/2
Memory -- 1/2
2. Objective
Characters: For Protagonist, the votes weigh most heavily for Rose,
but it is impossible to deny that Jack seems to carry a very strong
Protagonist energy himself.
As for the other
Objective Characters, here is the compilation of your assignments:
Antagonist (archetypal):
Rose's Mother; Cal Hockley (2); Ismay/Steamship Co.
Guardian (archetypal):
Thomas Andrews; Molly Brown (2); Jack (2)
Contagonist (archetypal):
Mother; Lovejoy (2)
Contagonist (complex)--
Temptation:
Cal
Hinder: Lovejoy
Emotion (archetypal):
Rose
Reason (archetypal):
Jack; Andrews
Reason (complex)--
Logic:
Control: Cal
Sidekick (archetypal):
Lovejoy
Sidekick (complex)--
Faith:
Support: Molly
Brown; Musicians
Skeptic (complex)--
Disbelief: Whole
Upper Class
Oppose: Mother
These are all very
good assignments, and I agree with most of them. As I stated before,
this is not the easiest group of characters to break down and sort out,
there being so many hand-offs and overlaps. I'll render my own opinions
later on.
I also want to recount
how you all stated the Protagonist's goal:
"Her goal
is to break free from the enslavement and conditioning of her family
and class."
"Rose's desire
[is] to break free of her restrictions."
"Jack wants
to be with Rose through her memory."
"Girl's goal
is to find a life she wants to live."
"Girl's goal
is to have her freedom."
"Boy's goal
is going to America--pursuing new life."
It's not hard to
see the commonalities here. These are all accurate statements of the
Protagonist's goal, and I will attempt later to sum them up in a way
that's meaningful to the story's argument.
3. Storyform:
First of all, I think there's no argument that Rose is the Main Character
and Jack is the Obstacle Character. Beyond that, here are the votes
for Main Character Domain:
Physics: 2
Psychology: 2
Aha! Guess I'll
have to break the tie!
Only one of you
got specific enough to identify an OS Problem -- Lisa, who argues for
"Unproven". As for Thematic Ranges, Lisa argues for "Value
vs. Worth", while Lee argues for "Dream vs. Hope".
Allll-righty then!!!
Now for MY take on the whole thing -- drumroll, please. First, all the
arguments you guys made for an Objective Story Domain of Mind are sound
ones, so we're all in agreement there. Now, as for Objective Story Concern
& Story Goal, I want to refer just above to the statements of the
Protagonist's goal, which is a reflection of the broader Objective Story
Concern. What is the story all about? Freedom...and life. I think to
be more specific, Rose and Jack are seeking the feeling of EXHILARATION
that a life of freedom brings ("I'm flying!"). What are all
the other characters going after? Cal Hockley is seeking the status
of being wed to a beautiful British babe. Rose's mother is seeking the
financial status and security that this marriage would bring. Ismay,
the head of the White Star line, wants to arrive in America with a big
hurrah by setting all sorts of speed records. Andrews, the ship's designer,
is not so much after status as he is a sense of pride and accomplishment.
And to everyone else on the ship, upper class and steerage alike, America
in 1912 was still seen as the "New World", rife with opportunities
and possibilities. Everyone--and I mean, EVERYONE in this story--is
concerned with feeling on top of the world, whether that takes the form
of status, freedom, accomplishment, whatever. What storyform dynamic
does that speak to? "Basic drives and desires"--the Subconscious--sums
this up perfectly. Preconscious, Conscious and Memory all play a role,
but the Subconscious is the seed that brings this story to life. (For
those who voted for Preconscious, if it's any consolation, Preconscious
shows up as "Stipulation" or "Benchmark" in my storyform.)
Okay, let's get
back to Protagonist. Who would that be? What I've been getting at all
this time is that, structurally speaking, I think Rose and Jack are
co-Protagonists. In fact, I believe that they split the function almost
evenly, Rose falling mostly under "Consider" and Jack falling
mainly under "Pursue". Look at what Rose deals with: She is
constantly considering her situation and her options, and has a very
hard time making up her mind (look how much time she spends thinking
before she runs to suicide; look how long it takes her to consider jumping
off the lifeboat before she actually does it; etc.). Jack never wastes
a moment in grabbing his ticket and running for the ship, then perching
himself on the bow and declaring himself king of the world, or in pursuing
any other course of action. This is because Jack is mainly external
in his approach to problems, and Rose is mainly internal. This is consistent
with my earlier assertion that Rose is a Be-er while Jack impacts the
world around him in terms of a Do-er.
Where do the other
Objective Character functions reside? Well, I believe Rose and Jack
split another archetype: Emotion. First, Jack clearly represents Uncontrolled
in the Objective Story--anyone on that boat, especially on the upper
decks, would agree this guy lacks restraint (he teaches Rose to spit,
for God's sake). But the element of Feeling most profoundly resides
with Rose, because so much of what goes on--even in the Objective Story--revolves
around Rose's feelings, and how sensitive or insensitive people are
toward them. Plus, the "Heart of the Ocean" necklace is definitely
a Feeling symbol, and it is primarily associated with Rose.
Now let's talk about
the Antagonist. It was Prish and Maryanne who observed that Cal Hockley
is the Antagonist to both Jack and Rose. To put it in more specific
terms, Cal plays "Reconsider" to Rose's "Consider",
and plays "Avoid" (or "Prevent") to Jack's "Pursue".
So Cal is an archetypal Antagonist...sort of. Whether he's playing the
internal side of his role or the external depends on whom he's facing.
Look at how he's constantly trying to get into Rose's head and make
her reconsider any considerations she may have about not marrying him.
But when he deals with Jack, he handcuffs him, pulls a gun, etc., all
physical actions in response to Jack's own physicality.
I also believe Cal
similarly embodies the role of Reason -- he employs "Logic"
against Rose's "Feeling", and tries to assert "Control"
over Rose and everyone else he can, in contrast to Jack's "Uncontrolled"
nature.
Let me go ahead
and spell out how I align the Objective Character elements. I reiterate
that such decisions are not clear-cut in this movie, so I'm making guesstimates
as to which character I believe MOST represents each element in the
Objective throughline:
Protagonist--
Consider: Rose
Pursue: Jack
Antagonist (Reconsider/Prevent):
Cal Hockley
Guardian (Conscience/Help):
Molly Brown
Contagonist--
Temptation:
Mr. Ismay (he "tempts" the captain to run at unsafe speeds)
Hinder: Lovejoy
Emotion--
Feeling: Rose
Uncontrolled:
Jack
Reason (Logic/Control):
Cal Hockley
Sidekick--
Faith: Mr. Andrews
(the ship's designer)
Support: Jack's
Immigrant Friends
Skeptic--
Disbelief: Rose*
Oppose: Rose's
Mother
*I may be going
out on a limb here, but it seems to me that Rose primarily embodies
the Voice of Skepticism (in an internal sense) when it comes to all
the haughty claims about the Titanic and her importance and imperviousness.
Okay, now let's
talk about specific storyform points. To start with Resolve, I think
there's no argument that Rose is Change and Jack is Steadfast in his
impact upon her. As for MC Approach, I've already expressed my opinion
that Rose should be considered a Be-er. I agree with Lisa that her Mental
Sex is Female, in that she's more attuned to considerations of balances
and influences rather than causes and effects (note her fascination
with Picasso).
As for MC Growth
(which was called "MC Direction" in pre-3.0 versions of Dramatica),
does Rose need to "Stop" something or "Start" something?
Well, arguably she needs to "Stop" being controlled and manipulated
by others so she can "Start" living her heart's desire. But
which one has a greater emphasis in this story? I think the former does,
"Stop". Another way to look at it is, does she have a chip
on her shoulder or a hole in her heart? I think "chip on the shoulder"
is more descriptive of her, so I have to go with "Stop" (the
fact that she feels so terrible when she first steps onto the boat supports
this). This is consistent with my choices of "Mind" for OS
Domain and "Be-er" for MC Approach.
Let me skip Plot
Dynamics for now and jump straight to structural choices. We all agree
on an OS Domain of Mind, and I've asserted that the OS Concern is The
Subconscious. Then for a Thematic Range (or "Issue" in 3.0),
we have the choices of Hope, Dream, Closure and Denial. Lee argues that
the Range is Dream vs. Hope, but I would argue that it's the other way
around (Hope vs. Dream). Hope is the projection of "a desired future
if things go as expected." Dream is the speculation of "a
desired future that requires unexpected developments." Already
these dynamics feel right for "Titanic"! But I think the thematic
exploration here is centered on the hopes for things to go as expected
(the boat will dock, the kids'll get married, Mom'll be set for life,
yadda yadda yadda) and how valuable such hopes are, as compared to holding
out the dream that life could be better but for something unexpected
to happen (a chance meeting with a rogue artist, for example, or a rogue
iceberg that might change everyone's life). In the end, this story proves
that Hope is an inferior value to Dream. (Note: Lee, in your paragraph
arguing for Dream vs. Hope, if you would switch the words "hopes"
and "dreams" around, I think you'll find it makes more sense.)
Selecting "Hope"
as the OS Issue, we are now down to Logic, Feeling, Control and Uncontrolled
as the OS Problem. Here's where we get into the nitty-gritty. Why is
there a problem in this story? On the surface, because of man's arrogance
that he believes he's conquered nature. But it's not just about the
reckless belief that they've built an unsinkable ship. (This is where
I truly believe that Cameron's script is not just structurally sound,
but rather brilliant.) The problem is two-fold: Not only does society
believe it can control the elements, but that it can control and contain
a free spirit. Therefore I would word the underlying problem of the
story as "a belief that man (or society) can control the inherently
uncontrollable." So my choice for OS Problem is Control.
Now a Change Main
Character will always share the same Problem as the Objective Story.
How is Rose's Problem in the area of Control? Simply, that she allows
herself to be controlled by her upbringing, by societal expectations,
by her mother and by her fiancé, even though she hates it. She
just doesn't have the tools to break free of her chains...until Jack
comes along. Even Gloria Stuart's voice-over at the beginning of the
1912 storyline tells how she felt the Titanic was a prison for her,
while to everyone else it represented freedom.
As the story progresses,
Rose learns that she can only find happiness and life by adopting Jack's
paradigm of Uncontrolled. This is illustrated by her swimming off her
protective board (after allowing herself to break free even of Jack)
and blowing the whistle without restraint. Her subsequent refusal to
show herself to Cal is an illustration that she chooses to "Stop"
the "Control".
(Earlier I brought
up the "Obstacle Character Crucial Element", which my storyform
predicts is Uncontrolled, which is consistent with my placement of Jack
under that Objective Character element. However, my "Main Character
Crucial Element" comes up as Control, and yet I've placed Cal Hockley
under Control in the Objective Story. This is tricky because "Control"
can be seen in two ways: he who controls and she who allows herself
to be controlled. To remain true to Dramatica and to my storyform, it
might be more appropriate to assign Control to Rose. I think either
choice can be made, as long as we're mindful of the other. But one of
the reasons I put Cal under Control is that he specifically espouses
the belief that "God himself could not sink this ship.")
Picking Control
as OS Problem gives us an OS Focus of Logic with a Direction of Feeling.
The "Logic" of the class system appears as a symptom of the
true problem, and those who are inclined to treat that symptom do so
with Feeling (the immigrants, Molly Brown, Rose, Jack, etc.). Also,
the flawed logic of having two few lifeboats is glossed over by arguing
the feeling of an unobstructed view. The ship's Captain tries to argue
the logic of not going full steam ahead, but Ismay argues about what
a heroic feeling they'll have when they arrive in America early. Etc.,
etc.
Also, for Main Character
we get a Focus of Conscience and a Direction of Temptation. Now doesn't
that speak for itself?
Okay, let me go
back now to the four Plot Dynamics in the middle of the 12 Essential
Questions. For Story Driver (previously known as "Story Work"),
I have to disagree with Lisa and go with Action. The precipitous events
in this story are things that just happen, the most notable one being
the collision with the iceberg. The action of Jack winning the ticket
in a poker game, and the literal action of the boat undocking, set the
story into motion (prior decisions that led to these actions are not
part of the story). The next precipitous event is the chance encounter
between Jack and Rose. Then there's the iceberg. Then the final action
that "bookends" the story is Rose's death and her reunion
with Jack in the afterlife. (Note: I mentioned upfront that the mini-story
involving Brock and the elderly Rose in the present time is a separate
storyform. However, the final afterlife scene with Kate Winslet belongs
with the 1912 storyform.)
My storyform predicts
that the Objective Story unfolds like this: Memory -> Subconscious
-> Preconscious -> Conscious. If you look at this act order in
terms of the above precipitous Actions, you'll see it makes complete
sense. (Memory is addressed a lot in the first act in different forms,
but in particular I interpret the boat's undocking as the "forgetting"
of the Old World by its passengers in favor of the New World. When Jack
and Rose encounter each other, basic drives and desires among all the
characters come strongly into play [Subconscious]. When the iceberg
hits, panic begins to ensue [Preconscious]. And finally, people have
to make Conscious choices about life and death, and Rose in particular
makes the Conscious choice to snub Cal.)
For Story Limit,
there is no deadline for the characters to find ways to feel on top
of the world and experience the exhilaration of life (at least, not
that they're aware of). It's a matter of options: How many ways can
Jack show Rose what it's like to feel free? How many ways can Cal convince
Rose to remain true to him? How many ways can Ismay and Andrews convince
the world that the Titanic is the ultimate luxury ship? Etc., etc.
Skipping to MC Judgment,
it's pretty obvious the Main Character's personal resolution is Good.
This is illustrated in the photos on Gloria Stuart's nightstand of Kate
Winslet on a horse in Santa Monica, posing as a pilot by a plane, etc.
(Again, anything involving the young Rose--Kate Winslet--belongs with
the 1912 storyform.) Obviously she learned what she needed to from Jack
and found happiness.
Now back to Story
Outcome. Here is where you all will probably be convinced that I'm totally
off my rocker. After all, the ship sinks and most of the people die
a horrible, freezing death, so it seems pretty gosh-darn obvious the
Outcome is Failure, right? Well, let me take you through a certain thinking
process. Most of you will recall that in my responses to your homework
and your questions, I have always emphasized that the Story Goal should
be worded from the point of view of the Protagonist. And when the Protagonist
wins and the Antagonist loses, the Outcome is Success. Conversely, if
the Antagonist wins, it's a Failure. I've identified the Antagonist
as Cal Hockley. Even though he tells Jack that he "always wins,"
in this case he obviously doesn't. But do the Protagonists win? I've
identified Rose and Jack as co-Protagonists, but let's disregard Rose
right now to avoid mixing up her Main Character outcome with her Protagonist
outcome. That leaves it up to Jack to determine the Story Outcome. He
dies. BUT, before he does, he has won the heart of Rose for eternity.
The Goal of the Objective Story is the Subconscious, to fulfill basic
drives and desires. Our Protagonists do that, in spite of the tragedy,
and in spite of the fact that they're separated for over 80 years. Therefore
I'm calling the Story Outcome a Success.
To put my kooky
theory to the test, I went into Dramatica and did a storyform where
I plugged in all my choices EXCEPT Success or Failure. I then went into
the appreciations that were left undetermined--such as Catalysts, Unique
Abilities, Benchmarks, etc.--to select the better of the remaining choices
in each, to see what this storyforming pathway would predict for Outcome.
For Objective Story Catalyst, I had a choice of Denial or Dream. "Dream"
didn't feel right, but "Denial" does. The OS Catalyst is the
"accelerator" of the story, and we see a literal acceleration
of the ship into icy waters, which happens because of Ismay's "refusal
to let go" of his reckless egotism, and a general denial of the
fact that it simply isn't safe and there's no such thing as unsinkable.
Also, Cal Hockley steps up his efforts to foil Jack and Rose's relationship
because of his "refusal to let go" of his plans to marry Rose--he
will not be denied (I believe he actually says that). There are numerous
other examples.
For Main Character
Unique Ability, I had to choose between Obligation and Responsibility.
"Responsibility" is already the MC Issue (or MC Range), but
it doesn't resonate as her Unique Ability. What gets her on the ship
in the first place? Her obligation to her mother and to Cal. But it
is her ability to RELEASE herself of those obligations that allows her
to move on with her life. Choosing Obligation here predicts that she
is being held down by a Critical Flaw of Approach. Interesting, isn't
it, that this comes up after I've made such a strong point that the
story's argument revolves around Rose's need to get out of her Be-er
mode and adopt more of a Do-er mode? This addresses the appreciation
of "MC Approach", which links in no uncertain terms to her
Critical Flaw.
Also, under MC Benchmark
(or MC Stipulation), I selected "Being" rather than "Conceiving",
because you can measure the progress of her personal throughline by
the degree to which she is less and less playing the role society has
dictated for her. Back to the Objective Story, the Benchmark there is
either "Preconscious" or "Conscious". About half
of you felt Preconscious was the OS Concern, but since I nixed that,
it seems like it should go SOMEWHERE -- like OS Benchmark (which also
puts in under Story Requirement). In addition, an Obstacle Character
Unique Ability of "Attitude" feels a lot more obvious than
"Morality"; for SS Catalyst, "Preconception" increases
conflict in the Subjective Story more than "Choice" does;
etc.
In almost every
case where I had a choice between dynamics that predict "Success"
and those that predict "Failure", while sometimes I could
make reasonable arguments for the "Failure" dynamics, I could
make even better ones for the "Success" dynamics. Therefore
Dramatica itself confirms my process of thinking--wording the Story
Goal in terms of the Protagonist(s) and determining the Outcome from
that--that leads to the conclusion that "Titanic" is a "Success"
story. Like I said earlier, I must be off my rocker.
For your convenience
(and to make this file even longer than it already is), the following
is the complete Story Engine Settings output for my storyform:
STORY ENGINE SETTINGS:
"TITANIC"
CHARACTER DYNAMICS:
MC RESOLVE: Change
MC GROWTH: Stop
MC APPROACH: Be-er
MC MENTAL SEX:
Female
OC RESOLVE: Steadfast
PLOT DYNAMICS:
DRIVER: Action
LIMIT: Optionlock
OUTCOME: Success
JUDGMENT: Good
OBJECTIVE STORY
(Everyone on the
Titanic)
DOMAIN: Mind
CONCERN: The Subconscious
ISSUE: Hope vs.
Dream
PROBLEM: Control
SOLUTION: Uncontrolled
FOCUS: Logic
DIRECTION: Feeling
CATALYST: Denial
INHIBITOR: Openness
BENCHMARK: The
Preconscious
SIGNPOST 1: Memory
SIGNPOST 2: The
Subconscious
SIGNPOST 3: The
Preconscious
SIGNPOST 4: The
Conscious
MAIN CHARACTER
(Rose)
DOMAIN: Psychology
CONCERN: Becoming
ISSUE: Responsibility
vs. Commitment
PROBLEM: Control
SOLUTION: Uncontrolled
FOCUS: Conscience
DIRECTION: Temptation
UNIQUE ABILITY:
Obligation
CRITICAL FLAW:
Approach
BENCHMARK: Being
SIGNPOST 1: Conceptualizing
SIGNPOST 2: Being
SIGNPOST 3: Becoming
SIGNPOST 4: Conceiving
OBSTACLE CHARACTER
(Jack)
DOMAIN: Physics
CONCERN: Obtaining
ISSUE: Morality
vs. Self Interest
PROBLEM: Consider
SOLUTION: Reconsider
FOCUS: Logic
DIRECTION: Feeling
UNIQUE ABILITY:
Attitude
CRITICAL FLAW:
Rationalization
BENCHMARK: Doing
SIGNPOST 1: Understanding
SIGNPOST 2: Doing
SIGNPOST 3: Obtaining
SIGNPOST 4: Learning
SUBJECTIVE STORY
(Rose & Jack
Love Story)
DOMAIN: Universe
CONCERN: The Future
ISSUE: Delay vs.
Choice
PROBLEM: Conscience
SOLUTION: Temptation
FOCUS: Logic
DIRECTION: Feeling
CATALYST: Preconception
INHIBITOR: Closure
BENCHMARK: Progress
SIGNPOST 1: The
Present
SIGNPOST 2: The
Past
SIGNPOST 3: Progress
SIGNPOST 4: The
Future
ADDITIONAL STORY
APPRECIATIONS
GOAL: The Subconscious
CONSEQUENCE: The
Future
COST: Obtaining
DIVIDEND: Becoming
REQUIREMENT: The
Preconscious
PREREQUISITE:
Progress
PRECONDITION:
Doing
FOREWARNINGS:
Being
So ... have I convinced
anyone of anything?
Sandy
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