an epic disaster that's not for everyone

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2005)

Titanic has a lot of fans and a lot of detractors. The movie itself is a technical masterpiece. James Cameron showed things that people had never seen before, such as going down into the actual wreckage with this little machine. The movie came out when I was 12, and since I was one of the millions of girls who were head over heels in love with Leonardo DiCaprio, I went to see it four times in the theater.
As I said, technically this movie is just brilliant. Some of the technology is a little bit outdated: if you look closely enough, you can pick out the computer images, but I don't think those detract from the visuals. The sets and costumes are absolutely marvelous. The music is also beautiful and haunting, and it's just right for the film's mood. I've always thought that the love theme "My Heart Will Go On" is cheesy, but effective in conveying the message of the film.
Of course the movie is about the Titanic, but that is really the backdrop for the love-across-class-lines story between Rose DeWitt Bukater and Jack Dawson. When I was 12 of course, this was absolutely fantastic. Now I see it a bit differently, but I do find it appealing nonetheless. The idea is a little bit ludicrous considering how the ship was built and isolated the upper class from those in steerage. A woman being able to break away from that is also pretty doubtful, but nonetheless if you can get over that you can see the love story for what it is, and that its message is love transcends all obstacles. This is a great movie to watch on a Saturday afternoon when it's rainy outside and you've got nothing better to do.
Aside from the love story you have the entire tragic loss of life from the sinking of the ship. I think this was both well-done by Cameron visually and the viewer sees the absurdity of course in Rose's jumping off the lifeboat to return to Jack. Again though we understand as an audience that we're going to be experiencing the foundering of this ship through the eyes of our two star-cross'd lovers, so the audience just has to roll with the punches here. Some of the shots here are amazing, and it gets a little ghastly when the ship breaks in half and people start falling off and hitting propellers and getting landed on by the stern of the ship.
The dialogue in this movie, however, is far from stellar. The worst parts are the modern day pieces with Gloria Stewart and Bill Paxton's acting is as flat as the Great Plains. Again you just have to roll with the punches to get to the good stuff, which is all the material when they're on the Titanic. Billy Zane makes a great villain, and so does Frances Fisher as the mother. Kate Winslet I think did an excellent job given some of her lines are a bit dull, but I think she still pulls it off convincingly. Leonardo DiCaprio is also a good actor, and although some of his lines are terrible, you can see in him the youth and vibrancy that a poor young artist must have when he's gotten the chance of a lifetime.
It's interesting to look at the roles of these women too, as Rose is not portrayed as a damsel in distress, but more of a young woman who's confused and angry and trapped in her upper class world. While it may sound like a poor little rich girl story, Kate Winslet convinces you that it's not just about her resenting her position in society. If you were Rose, you'd be unhappy too.
Overall I still love this movie. It's a great disaster film and has a lot of those classic elements. The direction and the sets and costumes are visually dazzling, and some of the acting is not superb, but overall I still say it's a good movie. It's definitely worth watching once, if only for the sets and the sinking of the ship.