In 1996, treasure hunter Brock Lovett and his team explore the wreck of the RMS Titanic searching for a necklace called The Heart of the Ocean. Unexpectedly, they discover a drawing of a young woman reclining nude, wearing the necklace the day the Titanic sank. News of this drawing on television attracts the interest of 100 year old Rose Dawson Calvert. When Brock asks her if she can tell him who the woman in the picture is she states, "Oh yes. The woman in the picture is me." After seeing the drawing in person, she recalls her memories as 17-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater aboard the Titanic. In 1912, young Rose boards the departing ship with her mother, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, and her fiancé, Cal (Caledon) Hockley. Meanwhile, a drifter and artist named Jack Dawson and his best friend Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets to the ship in a game of poker.
Distraught and frustrated with her forced engagement to Cal, Rose attempts to commit suicide but Jack intervenes. They strike up a tentative friendship as he shares stories of his life, and their bond deepens when they leave the first-class formal dinner for a much livelier gathering in third-class. Soon they fall in love but Cal is informed of what she is doing and forbids Rose to meet Jack again. Eventually, Jack confronts Rose alone, but she is inclined to ignore their growing affection because of her engagement and responsibilities. However, Rose later changes her mind and asks Jack to sketch her in the nude wearing only the Heart of the Ocean necklace. In the midst of Jack and Rose's romance, Captain Edward J. Smith has seemingly been ignoring many warnings about upcoming ice fields in the ship's path, and the Titanic maintains high speed. At 11:40 PM, the two lookouts see an iceberg directly in the Titanic's path. Despite the efforts of the crew and engineers, the ship strikes the iceberg and water begins to flood the compartments.
When Cal discovers Rose's relationship with Jack, he plots revenge, deciding to frame Jack for stealing the Heart of the Ocean. He has Jack arrested and detained below decks.Although Rose is at first indecisive, she later runs away from Cal, risking her chances of getting on a lifeboat, in order to find and rescue Jack.
After Rose manages to successfully free Jack they make their way back to the boat deck. Cal and Jack manage to persuade Rose to board a lifeboat, but after realizing that she cannot leave Jack, Rose jumps back on the ship and reunites with Jack on the Grand Staircase. Infuriated beyond belief, Cal takes Lovejoy's pistol and chases Jack and Rose down the staircase, shooting at them. Cal returns to the boat deck and gets aboard Collapsible A by pretending to look after an abandoned child. Although Jack and Rose manage to avoid Cal's fury, they find that the lifeboats are gone. With no other options, they decide to head aft and stay on the ship for as long as possible before it sinks completely. Eventually, the ship breaks in half and begins its final descent, washing everyone into the cold, icy waters.
After the ship has sank Molly Brown tries to convince Quarter Master Robert Hitchens to go back and rescue people, stating that they've "lots more room," and to the other women in the boat, "It's your men out there!" Molly's pleas go unheeded as Hitchens threatens to throw her overboard if she doesn't be quiet. So, in twenty boats, the few survivors wait and listen to the cries of their fellow passengers. In the freezing water, Jack manages to grab hold of a wall paneling, but only one of them can climb onto the surface. Jack sacrifices himself, and tells Rose to get on. While lying on the wall paneling, Jack makes Rose promise that, whatever happens, she gets out alive. Some time later, When Officer Lowe arrives with an empty Lifeboat, Rose tries to wake Jack, but then realizes that he has frozen to death. Upon this realization, she begins to lose hope and wants to stay there to die with Jack, but remembers her promise to "never to let go". She manages to unclasp Jack's frozen hand from her own, letting his body disappear into the sea. Throwing herself into the water, Rose swims over to where a dead officer floats on one of the deck chairs. She blows on his whistle and attracts Lowe's attention. She is pulled to safety, joining the 5 other survivors from the water. Rose later boards the RMS Carpathia where she notices Cal looking for her. When he turns in her direction, she turns away, not letting him see her face. Upon arrival in New York City, Rose registers her name as "Rose Dawson", reflecting her commitment to Jack. She then discovers the "Heart of the Ocean" necklace tucked into the pocket of Cal's coat that she is wearing.
After completing her story, the elderly Rose steps onto a railing and quietly throws the necklace into the dark Atlantic where her last memory of Jack rests. In Rose's room, we see pictures of her life's achievements, including a photograph of her riding a horse at the Santa Monica Pier, just as she and Jack had planned to do together. And a picture of her next to a plane, another reference to the plans that she and Jack made. Rose lies in a bed nearby as the shot pans across her peacefully sleeping, perhaps deceased face into darkness. The film ends with a vision of young Rose reuniting with Jack at the Grand Staircase, surrounded by those who perished with Jack on the ship.
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