“...it was true! How can you laugh?”: the conflation of history and memory in the reception of Titanic in Britain and Southampton’

Book chapter


Massey, A. and Hammond, M. 1999. “...it was true! How can you laugh?”: the conflation of history and memory in the reception of Titanic in Britain and Southampton’. in: Studlar, G. and Sandler, K. (ed.) Titanic: Anatomy of a Blockbuster Rutgers University Press. pp. 239-264
Chapter title“...it was true! How can you laugh?”: the conflation of history and memory in the reception of Titanic in Britain and Southampton’
AuthorsMassey, A. and Hammond, M.
Abstract

[Summary of the book this chapter appears in] On April 14, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland. Taking more than 1,500 souls with her, Titanic sunk on what was intended to be the glorious maiden voyage of the biggest, most expensive and most technologically advanced ship ever built. In 1997, James Cameron's "Titanic", the most expensive and technologically advanced movie ever made, hit theatres. In 13 weeks, it became the highest-grossing film in North America, and shortly thereafter, the first motion picture to earn a billion dollars worldwide. The cultural studies and film scholars who have contributed 13 essays to this collection ask the key question: Why? What made "Titanic" such a popular movie? Why has this film become a cultural and film phenomenon? What makes it so fascinating to the film-going public? The articles address everything from the nostalgia evoked by the film to the semiotic meaningfulness created around "The Heart of the Ocean" diamond that figures so prominently as a symbol. Contributors address questions of the representations of class, sexuality and gender; analyze the cross-cultural reception of the film in nationally specific contexts; and examine the impact of strategies for marketing the film through music.

Research GroupFashion and Interiors
Design and Urban Cultures cluster
CREATE/Feminisms cluster
Visual Culture and Curating cluster
Page range239-264
Book titleTitanic: Anatomy of a Blockbuster
EditorsStudlar, G. and Sandler, K.
PublisherRutgers University Press
ISBN
Hardcover9780813526690
Publication dates
Print01 Aug 1999
Publication process dates
Deposited23 May 2014
Output statusPublished
LanguageEnglish
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