Why do we Love Disasters?
The two most successful movies of the 20th century both featured a love story set against the backdrop of a disaster. Titanic and Gone with the Wind both showcase the drama and intensity that comes from those crisis moments when life is on the line.
What makes this work? For me, I like to see how people respond in a crisis. Some people will draw on every bit of mental and physical fortitude to emerge as a hero, while others will revert to cowardly, selfish behavior. And you don’t really know who will emerge as a hero until their life is on the line.
Take Rhett Butler. He is a scoundrel throughout most of Gone with the Wind, but at a few key moments, he lays his life on the line to do the right thing, all because he wants to be a better man. Jack Dawson is a different kind of hero in Titanic. He’s a nice kid, but has been wandering aimlessly through his life. During the crucial moments as the ship goes down, this carefree kid emerges as a man of stunning heroism. I wasn’t all that taken with his character until the end of the movie when he hauls Rose up onto that floating door and orders her to survive…even when he knows he is doomed, he digs down deep and summons up that immense, golden streak of heroism that makes him an unforgettable character.
Into the Whirlwind deals with the Chicago fire of 1871. I put my two romantic leads onto the streets of downtown Chicago as the buildings burn and collapse around them. As in real life, there were plenty of people who panicked and acted selfishly….while others risked their lives to lead children to safety, shield women with their bodies, battled flames to haul out survivors. The fire was a crucible that tested them all.
I had a ball writing Into the Whirlwind, and hope to do another disaster story someday. The drama and intensity of a disaster is simply too much of a lure to resist!