• James Cameron’s seventh feature film– and last film before Avatar in 2009– a 194 minute romance historical epic
  • also works as a disaster film like the popular subgenre during the 1970’s from Towering Inferno to The Poseidon Adventure
  • mock it if you will- but I don’t think there’s much arguing with the beauty of Celine Deion vocalizing the justifiably iconic James Horner score
  • Magnificent match transitions both coming in and out of flashbacks

Magnificent match transitions both coming in and out of flashbacks

  • A dozen transcendent-level establishing shots of ships– immaculate computer simulated crane shots

at least a dozen transcendent-level establishing shots of ships–immaculate computer simulated crane shots 

  • Like Avatar, Cameron takes clichés like the star-crossed rich girl/poor boy lovers and class struggle and reinvents them and makes them iconic. These are clichés for a reason—its storytelling that’s deep down in us– architypes. On the flip side, nobody could accuse this of being a meditation on the class struggle or confuse this with what the Dardenne brothers are doing on the subject in the same time period
  • The mayhem in the last hour is such a pop art achievement— all of the computer graphics work and the work in the massive water tank are impressive– the lights bouncing off the water in particular are magnificent – but there is more time just spent mulling around the narrative and focusing on the acting than I remember
  • Two great actors of their generation (if not the greatest)- Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet- they were not made great because of this film and ensuring popularity- this was a stepping stone for them– they were each great before and after (and here)
  • Kathy Bates, David Warner and Billy Zane are all excellent as well in support and perfectly cast
  • it had to be the clout coming from Terminator 2 that let Cameron keep the storyline that includes Bill Paxton (a Cameron regular) contemporary storyline– Cameron was fascinated with the discovery of the Titanic. There is just a good 20 minutes or so of exposition before the film takes flight really with the two brilliant sequences- the first establishing shot of the ship, and the shot of introducing Winslet under the hat
  • It’s not quite as good as Gone With the Wind– it isn’t as well written and I’ll take some of the shots and sequences in GWTW over this but it’s not a terrible comparison—both superbly produced. Both won a ton of Oscars (11 here, 8 for Gone With The Wind). were among the biggest box office films of all time, and include personal dramas with a historical backdrop– the artistically rendered backdrops and sunsets (both fabricated backgrounds (one with computers)). Both films have size, scale (tons of extras), opulence and spectacle in the set design.

It’s not quite as good as Gone With the Wind– it isn’t as well written and I’ll take some of the shots and sequences in GWTW over this but it’s not a terrible comparison—both superbly produced. Both won a ton of Oscars (11 here, 8 for Gone With The Wind). were among the biggest box office films of all time, and include personal dramas with a historical backdrop– the artistically rendered backdrops and sunsets (both fabricated backgrounds (one with computers)). Both films have size, scale (tons of extras), opulence and spectacle in the set design.

  • hits the iceberg about halfway through the running time for symmetry
  • much like the class struggle- there is an opportunity here to say more about man’s hubris– that Cameron just doesn’t have an interest in
  •  “I’m the kind of the world” scene is very well shot indeed– again this is a tough film to look past the parody that would ensue in the coming years and decades– but it really has no bearing on the value of the film
  • Again, not a flawless film by a long shot- the “something Picasso, he won’t amount to a thing” writing is terrible as is Leo’s line “you’re amazing astounding girl, Rose” line (sounds like my writing- haha). Brutal—
  • Lots of transparent foreshadowing “you’ll never get to the likes of her”
  • Strobe lighting while the ship is sinking with the lighting going out is absolutely gorgeous- taking from the scenes in Aliens
  • I would love to hear a harsh critic of the film and see what they have to say about the set pieces and visual filmmaking. They’re ignoring it.
  • Epic film-making at its best. Wonderful use of extras and overhead shots with hundreds seen drowning.
  • the final shot– a tracking shot opening the doors in first person point-of-view– strong

the final shot– a tracking shot opening the doors in first person point-of-view– strong

  • Must-See- top five of the year quality– if leaning to either side maybe a bit towards a HR