The script potential score of Titanic is 1.32 (predicted 498-550MM; actual 601MM)
The script of Titanic will appeal to 39.72 – 43.90% of the population
Titanic borrows 98% of its events from 6 mythological tales
The script of Titanic will appeal to 39.72 – 43.90% of the population
Any story is the quest to fulfil a human desire. We have identified universal quests for every human desire. These universal quests reveal the invisible plot structure of stories. An analysis of Blockbuster, Hit & Flop plots led to the discovery of Mythosis Code. The Code reveals the story principles shared by all Blockbusters. We use the Code to estimate and unlock a story’s Blockbuster potential.
All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Titanic uses 6 mythological tales to capture the desires of Romance, Expedition, Vengeance, Accumulation & Family. The plot structure uses both the universal quests of Romance – every basic human desire has a fulfilled & unfulfilled quest.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Jack mirrors the universal unfulfilled quest of Romance whereas Rose mirrors the fulfilled quest of Romance., Cal mirrors the quest of Vengeance & Ruth mirrors the quest of Accumulation. Lovett mirrors the quest of Expedition. Andrew mirrors the quest of Family.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Jack borrows 58% of the unfulfilled quest of Romance whereas Rose borrows 80% of the fulfilled quest of Romance. Cal’s character borrows 62% of the universal quest of Vengeance, Ruth borrows 28% of the quest of Accumulation & Andrew borrows 23% of the quest of Family. Lovett borrows 25% of the quest for Expedition.
Blockbusters interweave different quests to create a tight plot structure. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Titanic’s quest interweaving is 0.5 and is at par. An example of interweaving the quests of Rose & Cal:
Blockbusters have a script score of at least 0.64 whereas Titanic’ script potential score is 1.32. Based on the script score we estimate that the movie will appeal to 39.72 – 43.90% of the population.
The plot structure of Titanic with a script score of 1.32 is the 4th strongest script in the last 50 years of Hollywood productions. Jaws, E.T. & The Exorcist hold the top three positions.
98% events in Titanic are borrowed from 6 mythological tales
At Mythosis, we have identified 32 mythological tales. Each mythological tale uniquely represents a human quest to fulfil a desire. These tales are the super set of thousands of tales across cultures.
We have codified the events of each mythological tale. Every tale has 5 major arcs. Each arc has a sequence of events. These events culminate into a major event. Here is the mapping of each character’s quest to the major events in their respective mythological tale.
Quest 1: Lovett mirrors 25% of Gilgamesh’s quest for Expedition (below threshold of 35%)
Lovett’s desire for Expedition stems from the need to find an elusive object. The tale of Gilgamesh from Sumerian mythology is the universal quest for Expedition.
Quest 2: Rose mirrors 80% of Savitri’s quest for Romance (above threshold of 35%)
Rose’s desire for Romance stems from the need for sex & courtship. The tale of Savitri from Hindu mythology is the universal fulfilled quest for Romance.
Quest 3: Jack mirrors 58% of Leander’s quest for Romance (above threshold of 35%)
Jack’s desire for Power stems from the need for sex & courtship. The tale of Leander from Greek mythology is the universal unfulfilled quest for Romance.
Quest 4: Cal mirrors 62% of Duryodhan’s quest for Vengeance (above threshold of 35%)
Cal’s desire for Vengeance stems from the need to confront offenders. The tale of Duryodhan from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Vengeance.
Quest 5: Ruth mirrors 28% of Valmiki’s quest for Accumulation (below threshold of 35%)
Ruth’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect & own. The tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology has a robust expression in Dicken’s character of Scrooge which is the universal quest for Accumulation.
Quest 6: Andrew mirrors 23% of Oedipus’ quest for Family (below the threshold of 35%)
Andrew’s desire for Family stems from the need to protect & nurture. The tale of Oedipus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Family.
Tags:1997, 20th Century Fox, Accumulation, Box office, Character development, Duryodhan, Expedition, Family, Gilgamesh, James Cameron, Leander, Lightstorm Entertainment, Movie Review, Mythology, Oedipus, Paramount Pictures, Romance, Savitri, Script, Story plot, Valmiki, Vengeance
