Movie and Book Reviews

TITANIC'S TRUE HISTORY SUNK

by Douglas W. Phillips, President, Christian Boys & Men Titanic Soc., San Antonio

Next week Hollywood will honor the latest and greatest tribute to the most famous maritime disaster in history. James Cameron's Titanic is an emotionally charged, cinematic masterpiece that goes to painstaking lengths to ensure technical accuracy when it comes to carpet designs and woodworking, but utterly fails to present the true story of the Titanic tragedy in a way that communicates its deeper, spiritual significance.

In Cameron's Titanic, the rich attempt to bribe their way to freedom, the poor are deliberately prevented from reaching safety and the nobility of Christian sacrifice is minimized, ignored and at times ridiculed. Cameron's neo-Marxist version of a Titanic embroiled in the throes of class warfare is simply false.

Numerous testimonies from survivors detail the heroic deeds of first-class passengers on behalf of third-class passengers. Several millionaires literally gave up their lifeboat seats for washerwomen. The order of the hour was "women and children first."

The reality was, with only a few exceptions, men of every class and background did their Christian duty by sacrificing on behalf of women and children. This resulted in a death toll of only one woman for every nine men.

By presenting a sanitized view of the Titanic which downplays man's role as the defender of woman, Cameron may have succeeded in winning approval from feminists, but he has missed an opportunity to inspire the young men of our nation to act sacrificially on behalf of their wives, mothers and sisters.

The lesson of the Titanic is that no amount of technological advancement will ever make man the master of his own destiny. It is God alone who controls the destiny of individuals, of boats and of nations.

The real tragedy of this film is that by creating such a compelling, evocative but politically correct vision of the past, Cameron may have immunized an entire generation from learning the true lessons of the Titanic -- and at a time when they are most desperately needed.

Christian Information Ministries is a non-profit ministry and is 
dependent on gifts from God's people in order to operate.  If you 
receive a benefit from our materials would you consider giving a 
tax-deductible gift to CIM.  We suggest $25. a year minimum.  
Send to:  Christian Information Ministries 
          2050 N. Collins Blvd. #100 
          Richardson, TX  75080 

Top of Page