1997 - 194 minutes - Drama/Romance
Director: James CameronCountry: United States
IMDB: 7.6
Metacritic: 74
RT: 88%
EpicEnthusiast's Rating: 8/10
Watch this movie if you enjoy:
- romance films
- engrossing atmospheres
- history
- Leonardo DiCaprio
Avoid this movie if you dislike:
- James Cameron films
- love/relationships
- unrealistic moments
James Cameron's epic Titanic is certainly a landmark in recent film history. It was nominated for a record 14 oscars, and won a record 11 of them, including best picture, best director, and best cinematography. It was budgeted at an astounding $200,000,000 that was only surpassed by Cameron's 2009 Avatar ($270,000,000) as the most expensive film ever made. That proved to be a reasonable price to pay though, as it spent a record fifteen straight weeks at #1 at the box office, and has grossed over $658,000,000 as of June 8, 2012. It's ranked #6 on the American Film Institute's list of top ten "epic" films of all time, and was the first film ever to win best picture at both the Oscars, and the MTV Movie Awards.
Much of this praise is deserved, but not all.
The film opens with a present day dive down to Titanic remains. Although its mostly fictitious (as i'll touch on below), Cameron was fascinated by the real ship, and ended up spending more time with it underwater than the original passengers did. In fact, he used the site of the Titanic to persuade the studio to budget the film. He told them it would add appeal, strengthen the story, and sell more tickets. He was certainly right. That perspective and background really adds to the plot, and makes for a much more compelling narrative from the older version of Rose Dewitt Bukater (Gloria Stuart), even if it isn't real.
After that initial setup, we plunge on to the ill-fated ship with the Rose of 1912 (Kate Winslett), and one of the film's strengths is immediately introduced: the setting. Presumably, much of the $200,000,000 budget was used on the set, and attempting to re-create the Titanic, and for me, it was money well spent. As Rose and her family board the ship, we seem to be doing it with them. Cameron gives us a spectator's view of the gigantic vessel first, and then we head inside to be absorbed by interior. The camera mimics another person on board, and it travels through hallways, spirals up and down staircases, and soars above the ship outside. We get a bevy of perspectives, and by the end of the film, we feel familiar with the ship. All other attributes aside, Cameron created a gorgeous replication that significantly added to the story. Titanic isn't a masterpiece as a whole, but visually, it's nothing short.
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| The life like set of Titanic |
Along with a personal tour of the luxurious accommodations of the ship, we also get an inside look on Rose's life. She's part of the Dewitt Bukater family that has ironically lost all their money, but is shielded by the family name. At just seventeen (which isn't believable at all due to her acting and appearance), she dresses in extravagant gowns, collects fine art, and dines with other wealthy adults. Her fiance Cal Hockley (Billy Zane) can buy her anything she wants. She seemingly has it all, and yet something is missing. Winslett does a great job of depicting disconnection and bleakness on screen, and the escape from her family becomes a major theme in the film.
One night while seeking some alone time on the deck, she meets the young American Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and sparks fly. The acting from the pair is sound, and Winslett was deserving of her Oscar nomination. Take out a few weak lines from Cameron's script, and she may have won it. Billy Zane also does a nice job of creating a character in Cal that we're supposed to hate. However, the real power in Titanic comes from the connection between Rose and Jack.
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| Billy Zane as Cal Hockley |
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| Kate Winslett as Rose Dewitt Bukater |
Jack is precisely what Rose needs in her life. He's an affectionate artist that doesn't have a dollar to his name. He won his Titanic tickets in a poker game and doesn't even have a real home. They're opposites that are quite alike. He instantly recognizes that Rose is trapped by her family, and that she's living a life she's being told to live. While hesitant at first, Rose ultimately follows her heart and breaks down the walls holding her back. In one particular scene, she tells Jack she's leaving after he asked if she loved Cal. She walks away, but doesn't get far. Jack is legitimately invested in her. He's fascinated by her appearance (and I will say she was quite stunning at times), her charisma and her situation. Rose needed someone to confide in, and after this point, they became truly inseparable.
My qualms with Titanic may be minor, but are impossible to ignore. If you've yet to see the film, you may want to skip this next paragraph.
Up to the point of the ship beginning to sink, I was thoroughly enjoying the film. I shrugged off some questionable dialogue, and ignored some outlandish moments, but was impressed overall. However when the sip began to sink and panic from the passengers surfaced, dumb moment after dumb moment transpired. It started with the immediate breaking of Jack's handcuffs in the flooding room. Rose finding the axe was reasonable enough, but as she made clear by her practice swings on the cabinet, she could hardly use the thing. But then add the risk of chopping Jack's hand off, and suddenly she's a lumberjack. Quite dumb. Next was the ever so lucky escape from a flooding staircase. What are the chances that a crew member walks by as they're trying to unlock the gate? Why would he still be down there? Then he drops the keys and leaves them behind. Oh but don't worry, they were dropped within reach of Jack who dove underwater and reached through the gate to snag them. Phew, that was a close one. And then how about Cal suddenly going on a shooting spree? I'm all for sudden bursts of anger, but that was just laughable. Everything turns into slow motion and he misses all six shots. Who saw that one coming right? Again, not technical flaws, but I was definitely disappointed in Cameron. He wasn't creating a documentary, but if he cared enough to thoroughly explore the original ship, and cared enough to include real people and their actions (many of the first class passengers on the ship were actual passengers, and to use one example, one of the crew members did in fact shoot themselves on the deck of the ship), then he should have at least tried to keep everything as realistic as possible. These are just a few of the infamous scenes in the film that bring negative attention, and that could have easily been avoided.
All that being said, Titanic still possesses a lot of quality, and again, the primary relationship of the film is what will stick with you, not the futile flaws. It's a breathtaking visual experience that features strong, developed characters and very good acting. The soundtrack is memorable, and the Oscar winning cinematography is impossible to ignore. You'll become a passenger of the ship yourself, and get attached to your fellow travelers. As James Berardinelli of ReelViews says, "You don't just watch Titanic, you experience it," and I'd encourage you to experience it as well.
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| An iconic scene in Titanic |
One last note. In 2010, the film was released in 3D, and I'd recommend steering clear of that version. While I haven't seen it, I recently saw Gravity in 3D, and could easily pinpoint where 3D effects would be added in Titanic. Unlike Gravity, they would be used primarily for entertainment. They'd add flying debris and rushing water during the sinking of the ship, and while it may add a different perspective, it would ultimately take away from the tone. Again, the film focuses on a relationship, and not the physical sinking of the ship. Just my two cents.
The trailer for Titanic can be seen here:
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