Easily the best film of 97 and a classic that will stand the test of time

Rating: 10/10 (12 August 1999)

Warning: may be some small spoilers.
I have always been a James Cameron fan. He is really one of the only directors I can say that has never made a bad film. Even his Piranha 2 was humorous and a fine effort coming from such a young director with a small budget. He has made, from what I can recall, two masterpieces (Aliens and Terminator 2) a genre pioneer (Terminator) and one of the best action movies to come out in the 90's ( True Lies ) and an ambitious touching film ( The Abyss ). But now he has outdone himself with Titanic. I don't think there has ever been a film that has taken me through such a wide array of emotions as this one. And that is all attributed to Cameron. He wrote, produced and directed this film. And it is one of the best films ever made.
We all know the story of Titanic. A great ship sets sail for the U.S. from the U.K. and along the way it sinks and many people lost their lives in the Atlantic somewhere near Newfoundland. So there is no need to retell those events documentary style. A Night To Remember is there for that purpose. So what Cameron's Titanic does is tells the tale of fictitious characters blended in with real ones amidst the real events of the sinking. And it not only makes the film entertaining, it shows the sheer horror of what happened that night and makes you more sympathetic to the characters because you spend three hours with them. This is a brilliant, brilliant film.
To start with, the actors are perfect. Not just DiCaprio and Winslet, but everyone from Zane and Bates right down to Paxton as the present day treasure hunter. But it is Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio that are the true stars here as it the two of them that have to carry the load and make us care about them. And we do. We can feel them falling in love. We can feel the helpless emotions that Jack feels when he is trying to tell Rose that he loves her the day of the sinking. It is their relationship that is a great strength of the film.
Next, what has to be mentioned is the score by James Horner. Very few times has a motion picture had a score that symbolized the sheer hopelessness and tragedy that is on screen. But here Horner has a perfect and somber piece of music that will bring tears to your eyes, especially when lives and love are lost.
Also, the whole scope of the film is one of tragedy. It is a tragic love story, a tragic story of refugees trying to make a better life for themselves and have it all end abruptly with a giant piece of ice. It is a sad look at bureaucracy and wealth and how it can manipulate and control many things.
But most importantly, this is a love story and an inspirational tearjerker. Rose and Jack fall fast and hard and it doesn't matter that they are from different worlds. Love sees no boundaries. If it is there, nothing can stop it. Not even death.
Titanic is perfect in every sense. And as a guy, it is my duty not to cry in movies. I know how ridiculously old fashioned that sounds but it is true. We just aren't supposed to. But I left my testosterone at the door and when I finally let go, I found myself brought to tears as the scenes of children clinging for life in the frigid waters would be enough to bring the strongest man to tears. Cameron has manipulated us to perfection here and even if you find the romance to be embellished (which I don't) to watch this film and know that this happened, is a sad and disturbing reality. Few films have ever done this to me. Few have ever made me feel such a connection to the characters. Titanic does, and by the end of the film, you feel like you know the people of Titanic like they were your long lost relatives.
And one final note: I can't understand how anyone could not enjoy the film, that's just me. But I know that what moves some does nothing for others. But the backlash towards this film is not necessary. Not every film has to be Ramboesque. Not every film has to be filled with explosions. I am not opposed to those films, I actually love many of them, but I am also prone to well written stories, whether they are love stories or not. Those who criticize this film need to realize that there is a market for this. The gross for this film and the demographics it appealed to confirm that.
As for the comment made earlier about those of us that enjoyed it being teens and have never seen a film before 1990, well I am 27, my brother is 24, my mom is 50 something and my grandmother is in her 80's. And we all loved it. So keep that in mind. And a film does not gross 2 BILLION dollars by having only teens see it.
This is as good as a film gets!
One final note. The SE DVD finally came out and it was worth the wait. The transfer is beautiful and if you are like me and love DVD's so you can access the special features, then this disc is for you. The commentary alone by Cameron makes the disc worth spending your money on. Cameron doesn't do a lot of commentaries, but the ones he does are perhaps the most insightful commentaries out there. Titanic, he outdoes himself. I really recommend everyone who loves this film to get the SE DVD and just sti back for 3 hours and listen to what he has to say.