"Titanic" Review

"Titanic"

Directed by James Cameron

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Bill Paxton, Kathy Bates

 

RATING

9/10

Brace yourselves for some unexpected opinions. As a baby all the way into my young years, my grandparents knew only one way to shut me up: play movies. Among their array of films, which were only three, were "Jurassic Park", "Twister", and of course, "Titanic". Now I didn't quite understand "Titanic" at the mere age of four because I was more amazed at a colossal sinking ship and thought it was one of the coolest pieces of cinema ever. In fact, I still do. But now I have an open heart for the characters and story. This is nostalgia done justice.

 

The film, (mostly) based on a true story, tells the legendary tale of the largest cruise ship ever constructed in history, the Titanic, on its maiden voyage from Italy to America. For anyone who has opened a history text book, you know the ship hits a large iceberg and the cruise ship meets its inevitable doom. But the centralized story here is a fictional romance between two passengers, Jack and Rose, and how their love for each other saved them (sort of) from the sinking ship.

 

Now, I know I've already gotten enough hate from film buffs who crucified me for saying this, but I personally consider it James Cameron's masterpiece. "What about Aliens and Terminator 2?!"... Both great films too, but let me explain my choice. Growing up, I had a morbid fascination with destruction. It's what drew me into apocalyptic films the most. The visuals were awesome and the destruction was cool, but it ultimately felt hollow. Then "Titanic" came along and quenched my thirst for a riveting romance that gave the big destructive pay-off plenty of substance. For the first time in my life, I actually cared about what happened to these characters. I was absorbed by this strange world of rich snobs and poor kind folk which created so much contrast. It added plenty of weight to the emotional side of the story, so the extraordinary visuals were all backed up by a riveting story.

 

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack does a great job of getting people on his side. Despite his status as a peasant, it makes me wonder how he had such a pretty boy appearance. These were the days when people absolutely resented seeing DiCaprio ever act again. You know, those same people who give him so much praise for his later films. Hypocrisy 101, ladies and gentlemen. But back then, he definitely had the acting chops. It's like people pretended like "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" never existed. Kate Winslet is also in the film, though her performance is passable enough. It's the chemistry between Jack and Rose that becomes the focus. Their romance, though considered cheesy by many today, is believable and features plenty of moments for women (and confused men) to swoon over and shed some tears. Perhaps the most famous scene would be when Jack perches Rose on the front of the ship and tells her to close her eyes, let go and lift her hands into the air. "I'm flying, Jack!", followed by probably the most famous (and duplicated) kiss in the world. Great chemistry drives the film to it's emotional core. The supporting cast are fantastic at playing snobbish, arrogant pricks. It's almost natural. Makes me wonder if James Cameron was just letting them all read his memoirs or something.

 

The visual effects are groundbreaking. Fun fact: half of the entire ship was constructed for the filming. There was plenty of dedication and pin-point perfection that went into making the film as grand and immaculate as possible. The cinematography is downright stunning, boasting some sweeping shots of the ship against a vast, empty ocean. The sinking sequence runs for the second half of the film, but it's slow descent provides time for the plot to up the consequences and stakes of the characters who find themselves in some tricky situations, especially Jack. It's really a shame this guy had to go through so much given his last scene. Cameron's direction is impeccable, and coupled with some incredible VFX shots, the simple sinking of the ship is transformed into the epic fall of a colossus or god. Granted, the film does take it's sweet time setting up the characters, their backgrounds and situations, so those hoping for a fast-paced action thriller would have to take a breather... if only for about 30-50 minutes before it really becomes gripping.

 

"Titanic" is part nostalgia, part visually breathtaking, part emotional, whole-heartedly a James Cameron epic. It's a transcendent experience that will divide many people: those who find true event pics boring or predictable, and those who are thrilled by seeing clockwork cinema in motion. I really do like that Celine Dion song, though.