Titanic- chick flick?(I think not)

I just got done with a fresh viewing of the movie Titanic. Picked it up when it first came out, watched maybe twice and put it on the shelf, where it's sat patiently all these years, just waiting for me to watch again. Nice movie(at least as an adventure story), but just wasn't all that taken with it. 

As I remember, when it was first released, female viewers were watching it over and over like It's a Wonderful Life at Christmastime. Well okay, there is a love story in there, and to add to the pathos, star-crossed lovers at that: the whole Romeo and Juliet thing of a boy and girl from different backgrounds, plus he dies before they really get started. Her one real true love..

Yeah, women go magoo over that kind of stuff. Understandable that they'd watch this one a million times. 

With this viewing, I had a slightly different perspective than last time. For one thing, I took into account the year it took place: 1912. In that year, Teddy Roosevelt was President, the Panama Canal was built around then, New Mexico and Arizona became the 47th and 48th states(we wouldn't get Alaska and Hawaii until 1959). 

More important though, was what hadn't yet happened. People didn't have electricity in their homes until starting 1920, and also women didn't have the right to vote! (Also 1920--August 26th to be exact-- the Nineteenth Amendment). I imagine love honor and obey were still in most marriage vows as well. 

This explains a lot of Rose's fiancee's controlling ways(besides just being a rich arsehole), and her Mother's insistance that Rose hook up with him. Mom is desperately trying to hold on to her Old Money status even though in fact she's broke. She is particularly strict and severe with the maids, which further displays that insecurity.  

Okay, so those are the various dynamics of the movie. It is a compelling story, no problem there. But my interest was really piqued around the end of the first tape(if you're watching in that format), after they'd hit the iceberg and things start to fall apart. That's when it became an action movie, and thus more interesting to me. 

Almost all boys, whether we're 8 or 58, like watching stuff blow up. We like car crashes, explosions, anything that makes a lot of noise and a lot of smoke. So the progressive destruction of the great ship was cool to watch--not for the damage but for the pure action, the adrenaline rush. The second half of the movie was, at least to me, much more interesting than the first. 

Funny, I'll bet most of the female viewers would differ on which half was more interesting, if they had to pick one. Last year, I had a girlfriend who would come over and watch movies with me. We never watched Titanic, for some reason. Next time out, if I get a girlfriend who likes movies, I'll have to put this one on. Chances are, though, I'll probably have to watch it more times after that than I might want to..