Titanic

Grade: NOT RECOMMENDED

Summary

While featuring themes of self-sacrifice and courage, "Titanic" contains significant moral concerns, primarily regarding sexual immorality and scandal. The depiction of premarital sexual relations, even if not fully explicit, normalizes grave sin and presents it as an acceptable outcome of romantic passion, making it problematic for Catholic families.

Moral Concerns

• Fornication/Premarital sexual relations (Rose and Jack)
• Nudity (non-explicit, but implied and suggestive in the drawing scene)
• Scandal (presenting premarital sex as acceptable and romantic)
• Occasion of sin (for viewers, especially the young, by normalizing impurity)
• Implied adultery (Rose is engaged to Cal)
• Profanity (likely present in a PG-13 film of this nature, though not explicitly detailed in the prompt)
• Violence (action violence during the sinking, though not the primary moral concern)

Positive Elements

• Themes of self-sacrifice and courage in the face of disaster
• Critique of materialism and class distinctions
• Loyalty and friendship (Jack and Fabrizio)
• Maternal love and protection (though complicated by Ruth's ambition)
• The inherent value of human life in a crisis

Detailed Analysis

The movie 'Titanic' is graded as 'NOT RECOMMENDED' primarily due to its central romantic plotline which includes significant moral transgressions. The relationship between Jack and Rose culminates in premarital sexual relations, which is grave matter according to Catholic teaching (the Sixth Commandment: 'Thou shalt not commit adultery,' encompassing all forms of impurity outside of marriage). While the film is rated PG-13, the implied sexual activity and partial nudity (as suggested by the drawing scene) constitute a grave moral concern. This depiction normalizes fornication and presents it as an acceptable, even romantic, expression of love, thereby creating scandal, especially for younger viewers who may be led to believe such actions are morally permissible or desirable. Furthermore, Rose is engaged to Cal, adding an element of implied adultery to her actions with Jack, violating the Ninth Commandment regarding coveting one's neighbor's spouse. While the film does portray admirable qualities such as self-sacrifice, courage, and a critique of societal injustices during the sinking, these positive elements do not outweigh the significant moral problem of glorifying grave sexual sin. The film creates an occasion of sin by presenting impure acts in a romanticized context, making it problematic for Catholic families seeking to uphold traditional moral values.

This review is based on traditional Catholic moral teaching as found in the Baltimore Catechism and the Ten Commandments. It is intended to help Catholic families make informed viewing decisions.