Timeless

Rating: 10/10 (6 January 2010)

It's bitterly ironic that the biggest blockbuster of all time is not on the IMDb's Top 250. Even stranger still, many who loved it at the time of its release have now turned on it (just ask anyone under the age of 25). This is not due to its quality, but to its hype. It goes without saying that a film this big had immense publicity at the time of its release, but what no one learned until too late is that there is too much of a good thing. People began to tire of hearing about what the stars (especially the new heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio) were doing, and they were sick of hearing gossip magazines never shutting up about "Titanic." The film had the odds against it: it's a romance, and that is one of the most volatile genres in terms of popularity. By the time the spoofs of the film's most famous scenes came along, "Titanic's" reputation was already in danger. After that, people began only to see the spoofs, and now the film's popularity has sunk to where the real ship is.
I had fond memories of the film from when it was popular, so I decided to perform an experiment: even after the immense backlash the film suffered, could it still hold up? The answer is a resounding YES!
"Titanic" opens when a treasure hunter, Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton) finds a drawing of a woman wearing the diamond that he is looking for. Soon after releasing his findings, an elderly woman (Gloria Stuart) claims that it's her in the picture. So Lovett flies her out to his ship to tell her the story behind the diamondAs a young woman, she was sailing to America to live the life of a boring society lady in a loveless marriage. Planning on ending it all, she is about to jump ship when she is saved by a young man from steerage. Thus begins a classic love story that is doomed from the start by complications other than those they began with.
The reason the film is so good is because the two central characters are brilliantly written and acted. Leonardo DiCaprio became an instant heartthrob to girls around the world (something he apparently hated), and it's not hard to see why. DiCaprio has everything to make the male lead of an epic romance work: he's good-looking and talented (Winslet was honored with an Oscar nomination for her performance, although it's hard to understand why DiCaprio was left out, because he equals her). Jack Dawson is an immensely likable guy. He falls hard for Rose, someone who he knows is clearly out of his league. But he's so immensely likable that we want him to win Rose's heart. His new lover, Rose, is no ordinary society girl, much as she tries. She can't stand the rigidly controlled life she's going to lead, and Jack is her escape. But while she may wear a corset, she's no damsel in distress. She's independent and tough. The romance works because Jack and Rose are meant for each other.
Their supporting cast is excellent. The two most important supporting characters are Rose's fiancée, Cal Hockley, and her mother, Ruth (Frances Fisher). Cal Hockley is a vicious snob with a constant sneer on his face. He comes from a wealthy family, and will do anything to get what he wants. He demands obedience from Rose, something she will not give (to anyone, much less Cal). Her mother, Ruth, is just as snobbish and cruel, but she's also desperate. Their family was left virtually penniless, and she's trying to save face. As cruel and despicable as they are, neither one becomes a caricature. Zane and Fisher should have dually been honored with awards for their acting. Bates is especially noteworthy as the delightfully brash "new money" Molly Brown.
"Titanic" was the most expensive film of the 20th century, and it's clear that every penny was put to good use. "Epic" doesn't begin to describe this movie. It's huge in spectacle, and the sinking of the ship, which takes up the last half hour, is jaw-dropping. But that's not the only place where the effects were used. We never get a sense that we're looking at sets or CGI; from every frame of the ship, we believe that we are on the ship with the characters. Interesting note: Cameron actually went down to the wreckage and filmed footage there. But that doesn't stop there. Cameron wrote a script that allows us to view every part of the ship (and in a way that's plausible.
James Cameron has long been considered a god of action movies, but this is the first time his skills were honored. Not only is Cameron a wizard with special effects, he is also a master storyteller. "Titanic" is a long film (as all epics are), but not one of the 3+ hours of footage is wasted. The film moves, and there is never a dull spot. He knows the speed at which a person gets involved in the story, and uses this to his advantage. But the biggest accomplishment is that he makes the romance, one of the most difficult genres to dabble in, work with immense effectiveness. The romance burns up the screen, so much that we're more concerned with Jack and Rose's fates than we are taking in the sight of the sinking ship. And the scene where Jack draws Rose's picture is potently erotic (especially for a PG-13 movie, which shows not real nudity or sex, but it is strongly implied).
I realize that I am not writing this to people who haven't seen the movie (are there such people?). I am writing it to those who are now convinced that this is a sappy and painfully bad film. I assure you: it's as good as it was the first time you saw it.