Titanic is a film that surprises me with its quality every time I watch it.

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2020)

The problem with these iconic blockbusters that worm their way in to culture, is that their lasting image burned in to my brain is one of the fan culture, the parodies, the awards, the ripple of films influenced for decades after, and the legacy of the filmmakers and the technology going forwards, all which overshadow the actual merits of the film itself and eventually taint it in my mind; almost like a kind of warped reverse/retconned-hype.
Titanic is an elegant harmony of period drama and destruction porn. With a 70/30 split of the action in the back-end like theatre. Managing to weave his underwater interests in to a tragic love story in a Shakespeare vein gives it a quintessential classical Hollywood feel. There's some cheesy acting and dialogue but it's all in keeping with the blockbuster ethos; Cameron's on-the-nose dialogue (clearly trumped up by ghost-writers here) fits the classic nature of the film and produces some memorable, quotable lines.
Cameron clearly knows wonder and spectacle, but also attention to detail and minutiae; the examinations of the microcosm of class, the revelry in such feats of engineering and artistry. Titanic, adopting a sublimely classic structure, manages a marriage of all these elements very well. It jumps through time elegantly, crossing over tacitly also in to excavation drama and faux-biopic.
There's a tangible (read: expensive) earthy quality to the authentically constructed sets and meticulous and completely fashionable costumes. And the superb editing enhances the tactile nature of the film. Cameron really knows pacing in this film; always paced just right, never languid, never passing over the important moments, almost no scene that doesn't serve a purpose; the film's breathing room allows for many callbacks and twists and turns and it can be genuinely tense at times. Again, elegance is the word that comes to mind, a perfect synthesis on shooting and editing style and subject matter.
The audio has real range depending on where the characters are standing, I noticed archways or covered areas changing the aural landscape and it's got some properly wistful and hummable music (which you want in the theme) even if the music sometimes sounds like the start of the Home Alone theme, or whatever other Christmas move I kept seeing in my head when the music began.
The picture is superb. In fact it may be the best I've ever seen. It's a pristine image that looks like you're perring through the cleanest window you've ever seen. It's a masterclass in image reconstruction. The lighting is also lovely, timeless, pretty but not too saccharine, the night shots still impressive. The 3D is cautious but sumptuous. Never gratuitous and never party to ghosting or too many jarring planes of 3D image intersecting. It's clear that Cameron was always interested in framing his shots with many layers which lends itself perfectly for this kind od post-post-conversion. There's a mirror shot featuring Billy Zane and his Manservant that exhibit the quality of the original shooing and the 3D conversion all at once.
The effects still hold up, some are noticeable but not as jarring as some techniques used a decade later. At this time, effects; visual and special, motion capture, matte paintings, miniatures and CGI were all used and blended only when it would have looked its best, represented the best intention of the director. Watching the extras of Titanic alongside the extras of The Hobbit it's depressing how these effects work, particularly mocap and CGI that is now used largely to cut corners on set, or make up for a lack of script, or to cut costs.
In terms of acting, DiCaprio solidifies himself as a charming but cool, real and tangible loveable young tyke, his believable, youthful, effortless acting a joy to watch. Winslet goes through the best arc; her character perfectly embodying both the uptight and the energy of youth, she has real nuance and layers that come out of her character. But it's Zane that I love the most. He's superbly hilarious, watching him a riot, an actor understanding his role perfectly. I am fascinated by Zane who plays a man perfectly from his time; the relaxed air of privilege. He's not mean or evil, he just has edge; he's just exactly a product of the time and his class. He's not even a bad sport, with a knowing sense of humour and a desperate human element.
In conclusion, Titanic is a film that I couldn't see it that often, but when I've forgotten the clichés and the well studied beats of it, it's a surprising film of great technical prowess, with gravitas and charm by the bucket-load. It's memorable and a brilliant synthesis of themes and genres. It is expertly crafted cinema in the traditional sense. And in light of recent massive, world-altering tragedies it even takes on new light and new importance as a very raw and emotional product.