Review of Titanic (1943) by Adrian K — 06 Mar 2016

James Cameron's monumental, sweeping romantic epic that is absolutely breathtaking, this towering cinematic achievement became a world-wide sensation becoming the first billion dollar grossing film and the biggest money-maker in history: a record that it held for 13 years until James Cameron topped himself with his amazing 3D sci-fi epic "Avatar," which took the record and became the first 2 billion dollar grossing motion picture.

"Titanic" has proven once again James Cameron's technological brilliance and his impressive mastery of mainstream film making with his meticulously skillful direction. The engrossing story takes place in two different timelines, in 1997 where an American-treasure hunter named Brock Lovett, wonderfully played by Bill Paxton is searching for a lost priceless 56-carat blue diamond pendent called "The Heart of the Ocean" in the North Atlantic at the site where Titanic sunk, he has gone down in a Russian submersible and recovered artifacts including a safe from the shipwreck, when Lovett and his team open the safe hoping to fine the diamond pendent, they fine a drawing of a beautiful nude young women wearing it around her neck, when the news broadcast of the drawing is seen by chance by the 101 year-old Titanic survivor Rose Dawson, played elegantly by the late Gloria Stuart in a luminous Oscar nominated performance she contacts Lovett and informs him that she is the young woman in the drawing, Lovett sends for her at once; after Rose arrives on board Lovett's research ship, she begins to tell her story and the scene shifts to the year 1912 during the maiden voyage of the R.

M.S. Titanic, which was at that time the largest moving object ever created by the hand of man in all history; and acquired the status of unsinkable because of her double bottom hull and water-tight doors.

Rose relives the experiences of her youth aboard Titanic, how her real name was Rose DeWitt Bukater and she was a society girl who was traveling with her money-hungry mother Ruth, played by Frances Fisher in a solid turn and her fiance Cal Hockley, played superbly by Billy Zane who was a rich, heartless, self-center contemptible man.

The young Rose is played with a lovely passion by Kate Winslet in a Oscar nominated breakout performance, on board she meets Jack Dawson, played magnificently by Leonardo DiCaprio in a truly charismatic star-making turn; a penniless artist who won his third-class passage along with his best friend Fabrizio, nicely played by Danny Nucci on Titanic gambling in a card game.

Rose and Jack slowly begin to fall madly in love with each other, but then fate enters in and Titanic collides with an iceberg, the massive ship strikes it on its side and begins to sink slowly into the freezing water; now Jack and Rose must fight to stay alive, DiCaprio and Winslet are perfection together and have a wonderful radiant chemistry that rings true.

There are impeccable supporting performances by Kathy Bates, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde, Victor Garber, David Warner, Bernard Fox, and Jeanette Goldstein. The spectacular Oscar-winning cutting-edge digital visual effects are wondrous, and the climatic ending when the Titanic hits the iceberg and the aftermath as the great ship brings to sink by the head is absolutely jaw-dropping.

Brilliant production design by Peter Lamont, with dazzling cinematography by Russell Carpenter, and a lush and haunting Oscar winning score by the late great James Horner, with the heartfelt Oscar winning Best Song "My Heart Will Go On" which is sensationally sung by Celine Dion.

Special kudos must go to Cameron for his captivating original screenplay that will have you transfixed from beginning to end. A timeless, moving classic epic, and the winner of 11 Academy Awards including: Best Picture and Best Director: James Cameron.

Highly Recommended.