The trope I chose is the Titanic original movie poster, one of Hollywood’s most iconic films. The movie, released in 1997, tells a story of an epic fiction romance based on a true tragedy.

The Titanic, or the Royal Mail Ship Titanic, was one of the worst marine time disasters in history (USA Today). The ship departed from Southampton, England, to New York City (Britannica); it held 2,223 passengers and crew members (USA Today). In the wee hours of the morning, the Titanic couldn’t avoid an iceberg, which damaged a crucial structural part of the cruise, causing it to sink three hours later in the Atlantic Ocean. Various factors such as lack of lifeboats and discrimination of class led to the death of more than 1,500 (USA Today).

The movie poster is composed of photography, typography, and photo editing. It presents the protagonists, acted by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, of the movie and the bow of the Titanic. The characters are hugging, but Rose, the female lead character acted by Kate Winslet, has a slight frown a precious earring, indicating she is from a higher class. Meanwhile, Jack, acted by Leonardo DiCaprio, has plain clothes, shows that he is from a lower class, and holds Rose tightly. Rose’s frown and Jack’s hug alludes to the tragic love story presented in the film.

Note: Rose and Jack are entirely fictitious, but the Titanic and its tragedy is a historical event.

Titanic Poster was designed by Aycan Elijah Yilmaz. It is composed of typography and graphic art. The poster is an alternative version of the Titanic movie poster, but it demonstrates a famous, ironic phrase below the movie title: “This ship can’t sink!”. Below the phrase, there is a graphic illustration of an iceberg in the center. Also, a silhouette of the Titanic cruised is in the bottom left corner. This imagery represents the irony of what the phrase mentioned since the unsinkable Titanic sunk.

Moreover, the typography on the margins contains names of leading actors, the director, producers, and others. At the bottom right corner is the name of the production company and the year in which the movie was released. Furthermore, the cool colors hint at the cold water and the sadness after the tragedy, both in the film and in real life.

This poster emphasizes the irony of the historical event portrayed by the 1997 movie while making the viewer cringe, laugh, or sad.

The sinking of the Titanic (2019) is an illustration by Willy Stower, a German artist. The illustration is part of an article of World Atlas.

The imagery portrays the sinking of the Titanic and an iceberg behind it. There are various lifeboats, people getting on boats, and frozen deceased people in the water. Additionally, the illustration suggests movement in the cruise is sinking, the motion of the ocean water, and the buoyancy of the lifeboats. The colors are mostly muted cool, except for the lights on the boat and the stars.

The illustration is not the most accurate representation of the movie’s interpretation of the historic event. Nonetheless, the image causes sadness and mourning symbolizing the historic event and the Titanic’s movie climax.

The special issue of Titanic: Exploring the Discovery of a Lifetime by National Geographic was published in 2020. The magazine portrays a mix of photo-editing and hyperrealism illustrations of the sinking and torn Titanic. Unlike the previous tropes, the message is objective and neutral since it is publishing scientific facts and findings of the sunken Titanic ship.

Moreover, the two-colored typography and bright yellow frame cover design are part of the trademark of National Geographic.

Additionally, the cover invites the reader to discover the new data by sparking its curiosity.

 

Bibliography

Tikkanen, A., Titanic Ship, Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Titanic

Unknown, (2019, April 12), 57 fascinating facts about the Titanic, USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/cruises/2019/04/12/57-fascinating-facts-titanic/3448724002/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1320561.James_Cameron_s_Titanic_Poster_Bookhttps://

www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Titanic-Editors/dp/1547854006?asin=1547854006&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1

https://www.juniqe.com/titanic-premium-poster-portrait-1460151.html#step=design&productId=1460151&frameId=false