Titanic (1997) Review

One of the most well-known disasters in human history is the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. It was said to be an unsinkable ship, but it hit an iceberg and began to sink. Not everyone was able to get off of the ship, and over 1,500 people lost their lives because of it. It seemed pretty unlikely at first that the director known for action-packed sci-fi flicks such as Terminator 2 and True Lies would be the one to not only adapt this disaster, but also tie in a melodramatic love story. Regardless, in 1997, James Cameron released his pricey, hyped-up epic, Titanic, now being re-released in 3D to coincide with his "OMG 3D IS SO FREAKIN AWESOME" gimmick that gave him even more "credibility" than he already had before Avatar. I had the pleasure of seeing this re-release, and I can honestly say that it's worth another look.





The movie follows Rose Bukater, played by Kate Winslet. She's the descendant of a rich family, but her father ended up leaving her mother broke. Because of this, she's forced into engagement to Cal Hockley, played by Billy Zane, in order to inherit more riches. They board the Titanic so they can return to America and get married. However, Rose feels that she does not want to be trapped within the boring, mindless realms of the rich, and feeling that she has no way out, she runs to the stern of the ship to throw herself over. However, she meets a third-class passenger named Jack Dawson, played by Leo DiCaprio, who persuades her away from that. As Rose and Jack start to get more acquainted, they start to fall in love with each other, but all throughout the movie, they're constantly torn apart by their social classes. Eventually, the ship comes to its disaster, and the two decide to spend what might be their last few moments together.


This movie is constantly regarded as the prime example of sappy melodrama, whether it's satirizing or just flat-out hate. If melodrama or romance in movies aren't your cup of tea, that's fine. What I personally hate is when filmmakers use material like sappy music, pretty scenery, and "poetic" dialogue that's just essentially cardboard cutouts saying they love each other as cop-outs for a fleshed-out, well-developed relationship. They're good tools to give a romantic movie passion, yes, but if you don't develop the relationship, no one's going to be fooled.


So, what makes Titanic work when it clearly utilizes all of that? Simple: There's actual chemistry between the love interests. Rose has never been all that adventurous throughout her life, but not because she never wanted to be, but rather because she had been forced into the reserved nature that her mother thinks is "elegant." Jack feels like the missing piece in Rose's life. He's a charismatic guy who likes to take risks every second of his life, never knowing what will happen, but also making every moment count. This is actually the movie that made Leo DiCaprio my favorite actor. At the same time, there's also tension within the story because the two are constantly separated by the fact that he's poor and she's rich, and because the two work so well together, the audience never wants them to break apart. Through this connection, scenes like the part where Jack places Rose on the edge of the bow of the ship that utilize romantic music and beautiful scenery seem much more beautiful because we believe that these two are truly in love.


But obviously, the romance is only half of the movie, right? It's also about the ship. As the movie begins, the way it portrays the elegance and glory of the ship is excellent. I never took considerable notice of how visually impressive the movie is when watching it on DVD, but the ship looks particularly beautiful on the big screen. The movie really makes you believe that the Titanic is the ship of dreams through its beautifully crafted scenery and mind-sweeping cinematography (though again, rarely, if ever, overplaying that as a replacement for the actual connection between Jack and Rose). The scenes towards the end when the ship is sinking vary between either suspenseful in how you hope some of the characters, particularly Jack and Rose, make it out okay, and dramatic in how you feel bad for the third-class passengers who lose their lives and the suicidal leaders who feel responsible for this disaster. The actual sinking of the ship is also well-crafted, delivering some impressive CG effects that still appear stellar to this day.


So, is Titanic worth checking out again? Well, if melodramatic romance isn't your cup of tea at all, this movie probably won't do much for you. It does give into a lot of the cliches that people love to bash no matter where they are, but for me, they work because the movie uses them to increase the passion of a fleshed-out relationship rather than replace one. At the same time, it accurately portrays both the beauty of the Titanic and the tragedy of its sinking. If you haven't seen it yet or you have but not on the big screen, definitely check it out.


However: Try to get to either a 2D showing or a theater that sells cheap 3D tickets. Unlike Avatar which had a lot of shots that were designed solely for 3D, Titanic is not a movie made for 3D. It never was.


This movie is worth $18.