Review of Titanic (1997) by Thenewspielberg — 31 Mar 2011
James Cameron's 1997 movie epic garnered instant acclaim upon release, grossed over 1 billion dollars at the box office (Avatar would beat this record over a decade later) and was given the dubious honor of being the most expensive production of all time.
The plot tells of a poor steerage passenger named Jack Dawson who forms a romantic relationship with first class passenger Rose DeWitt Bukater onboard the "unsinkable" RMS Titanic. The film focuses mainly on the relationship between the duo up until the point the great ship strikes an iceberg and sinks rapidly, transforming it into a typical big budget summer blockbuster that tries to be more than just popcorn entertainment.
The acting is decent, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet giving dramatic performances that are fueled by the romance between the two. Billy Zane is also good as Cal Hockley, a wealthy tycoon who plans to marry Rose.
Overall, the film is good but one major complaint must be addressed. I think that the film uses one of the greatest tragedies in history to its advantage just a bit too much. Of course, Cameron had been on dives to the real wreck of the actual ship himself during filming and was very much moved by it, but his feelings and emotions towards the events are not portrayed very well on film.
As is typical with many Hollywood epics, a small proportion of the what happens during the sinking is historically inaccurate but apart from that it leaves an overwhelming sense of grief upon you. Actually, that grief may be the reason why the film has received so much backlash in recent years, because the first time you see it, men and women will get teary-eyed in the end, but after a number of times it just isn't the same and you wish you were seeing it for the first time instead.
All in all, a masterpiece as a standalone disaster film but a tad disappointing as a historically accurate Titanic film. If you wish to see a factual version, the 1958 film A Night to Remember may be more your cup of tea.
This review of Titanic (1997) was written by Thenewspielberg on 31 Mar 2011.
Titanic has generally received very positive reviews.
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