Titanic.

I sort of have an obsession with the Titanic.

For as long as I could remember, I've been fascinated with the whole story of it. I think it started a few years after the big movie came out in 1997. Me and my friends were "in love" with Leonardo DiCaprio, and we watched the movie over and over (of course, with my parents skipping over several scenes and muting large portions because of the language).

As I got older, I always checked out books about the Titanic from the library. I even did my senior research paper a few years ago about the ship and who was to blame for the tragedy. The whole incident is so heartbreaking and chilling...and the pictures and videos of it on the ocean floor? Wow. It is the oddest feeling to see beauty and elegance rusting away miles below the surface.

I only intended on using a few pictures in this post, but there were so many beautiful ones that I went a little overboard (no pun intended).

I bought this movie at Sam's Club months ago, but only watched it for the first time this weekend. I loved it! It's "Titanic," made in 1953 and starring Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck. It's not especially historically accurate, but that's okay.

It's about a couple on the verge of separation because of the society they belong to. The wife takes her children and leaves for America, and her estranged husband buys a steerage ticket from a man so he can stop her. During the trip, the couple is arguing over custody of their children, and a family secret is brought out. I don't want to spoil anything, especially the end, but I'll just say it was heartbreaking, yet hopeful. This movie struck me as so different from the 1997 one. This one involves anger and corruption and family issues, like the 1997 one, but this ending is peaceful. The other movie ends in gunfire and despair, while this one ends with the passengers singing a hymn. It had a completely different feeling. There's also a part involving a fallen priest coming back to God, which made me pretty teary.

And movies about the Titanic really make me think. I try to imagine what it would be like, standing there on the ship as it sank, fighting that panicky feeling because there's nothing you can do. Just standing there, waiting for death. If you were a Christian, you might feel some peace or comfort, but what if you weren't? Or trapped on the ship, not able to even have a chance to live (some of the crew were trapped, and some of the lower class passengers, even women and children, were hindered from getting to lifeboats).

Or maybe even worse yet, being on a lifeboat and floating away from your husband, or your brother, or your father, or possibly even your son. And watching the ship that they're on sink under the surface. Wondering why you lived while your loved one(s) died. I can't imagine what those people went through.

The romance between a young college boy and the daughter (not pictured) was one of my favorite parts...it was so sweet.

Warning: This video may contain slight spoilers...skip to 5:40 and watch to the end for one of my favorite parts. :) You can watch the whole movie on YouTube!

Until next time,