A misjudged masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (30 April 2012)

When Titanic was released for the first time back in 1997 it became a cultural phenomenon: for 12 years it was the highest grossing film in history, winner of 11 Academy Awards, turned Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into huge movie stars and made My heart will go on sung by Celine Dion a romantic anthem.
However, with the passing of the years being a fan of Titanic became the equivalent of having bad taste and poor judgment in films. I personally disagree with this highly subjective assessment, since Titanic is the best example of how to make a sweeping epic like those that used to be made in Hollywood's golden age.
Thus, James Cameron uses the tragic sinking of the ship that "not even God could sink" to tell the already iconic love story between Rose DeWitt Bukater, the American girl betrothed to a steel tycoon whom does not love and Jack Dawson, the aspiring artist who has traveled the world in search of his identity becomes a desperate struggle to survive once the ship hits an iceberg and is destined to sink. This aspect of the movie has always been criticized, as Cameron chooses to tell a fictional story instead of focusing on one of the many true stories of the passengers; this is a risky decision that pays off due to Cameron's ability to associate reality and fiction respecting the historical perspective, the chemistry between DiCaprio and Winslet and the unexpected sensitivity with which Cameron tells a love story (something unusual for him, given his previous experience in science fiction movies), it could even be said that without Jack and Rose the film wouldn't have had the same impact and success.
This does not diminish at all the impressive historical recreation not only of the Titanic (for which an almost exact replica of the original boat had to build), but the period in general, and this is not limited to costumes and scenery, but also in the notes on the differences between social classes existing in the early twentieth century and decadence disguised as opulence, which unfortunately have not changed much today.
The sinking of the Titanic has been told numerous times in film and on TV, but James Cameron's version has become the obligatory reference, not only for the reasons already mentioned, but also for the incredible realism and technical accuracy this is portrayed achieving really shocking moments and scenes of high emotional impact that are not quite successful on other versions and that make us partakers of such tragedy as if we were watching it live. This is due to the use Cameron makes of digital technology without being overwhelmed by it, since he understands that digital effects must serve the story and not vice versa.
Special mention to the brief but poignant appearance of Gloria Stuart as old Rose, who serves as the narrator of the story, and gives consistency to the story as well gives it humanity and warmth.
Titanic has not only withstood the test of time but also the unflattering trials of those who call themselves connoisseurs of good cinema and remains one of the greatest epic films ever made.