The Soap advertisement in the 1958 film A Night to Remember is one of the first implications of social class illustrated in the entire film. It begins by first introducing the viewer to the middle class hero, Lightoller and his view of the class system of 1912, where he mocks the class discrepancy aboard the Titanic between the elites and the lower class passengers (Bruce). And despite this, the advertisement seems to better illustrate the idea of decadence found on the ship. As previously noted, the scene appears to poke fun at the elite class as Lightoller states that the soap is “for first class passengers, mind you. The rest cannot be washed” (A night to remember). This is where class is clearly evident through the reaction of the other couple present in the train carriage. The uptight upper class asks if Lightoller is a foreigner or a radical and defends their positions against the lower class. They belittle him, judge him, and don't indulge him until they find out he's second in command on the Titanic (A Night to Remember). It's clear that the couple is the epitome of the upper class. The way they are dressed, their mannerisms, and the way they look down on others shows their lifestyle and their overall portrayal of having lived a rich and decadent life. And this is clearly reflected in advertising and in Titanic itself. Soap advertising is a mockery of the middle class. Upon closer inspection of the poster, "Luxury and comfort toilets at sea" is highlighted in bold and black letters. This demonstrates the social comforts of the upper class. In Howell's article, "Atlantic Crossings: Nation, Class and Identity in Titanic (1953) and A Night to Remember (1958)," he notes that the Titanic is central... at the center of the card... r, l he luxury embellishment of the Titanic doesn't make the other characters on the train laugh. The contrast here is clearly evident through their reactions to the poster and its mockery which clearly highlights the idea of social class. The decadence in the film clearly distinguishes the upper class from the lower class. Works Cited A Night to Remember. Director Roy Baker. Perf. Kenneth More, Honor Blackman, Michael Goodliffe, David McCallum and Laurence Naismith. The Criterion Collection, 1958. Film.Bruce, Barbara. FILM 2194B: Disaster Cinema. London, ON: University or Western. 2011. Lecture notes. Howells, Richard. “Atlantic Crossings: Nation, Class, and Identity in Titanic (1953) and A Night to Remember (1958).” Historical journal of cinema, radio and television 19.4 (1999): 421-38. ProQuest Direct completed. Network. November 30. 2013.
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