The movie is centered on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, which sank after hitting an iceberg in 1912.

The story unfolds through the eyes of Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), an upper-class young woman, and Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a poor artist who wins a ticket to board the Titanic. Despite the vast social differences, Rose and Jack fall in love, but their romance is tragically cut short by the disaster that strikes the ship.

The movie begins with a modern-day treasure hunt led by Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton) in search of a rare diamond, the “Heart of the Ocean,” which was supposedly aboard the Titanic. This framing device allows the elderly Rose to recount her story of the Titanic, revealing her romance with Jack and her struggle for independence from her controlling fiancé, Cal Hockley (Billy Zane), and her overbearing mother.