Titanic (1997)

Rating: 9/10 (24 November 2019)

Following his moderate success with his third consecutive collaboration with Arnold Schwarzenegger in True Lies, Hollywood icon James Cameron's next project is the first time he has ever been deep in the Atlantic Ocean, where a famous ship sank in April 14, 1912, memorializing the doomed ocean liner known as the Titanic. Cameron's approach to the story will change Hollywood audiences for generations to come and now holds as the third highest-grossing movie of all time. Without further ado, here's my review of the 1997 version of Titanic.
101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater (Gloria Stuart) is stunned when she discovers a news report of a rare diamond, the Heart of the Ocean, she once kept during her time aboard a famous ship she was on eighty-four years ago. She meets a man by name of Brock Lovett, (Bill Paxton) a treasure hunter looking for the same diamond. Rose tells the story of her life aboard the Titanic. With a cocky finance named Cal (Billy Zane) and materialistic mother, (Frances Fisher) the young Rose (Kate Winslet) is fed up with her existence and attempts suicide until she meets a third class passenger named Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and the two fall into a forbidden love affair in a Romeo and Juliet themed connection. As the two blossom, avoiding Cal and his bodyguard, (David Warner) the ship strikes an unexpected iceberg collusion, forcing the Titanic to sink as Rose, Jack and its passengers face doom and attempt to fight for survival against all odds.
Other than the love story, we do find ourselves being in part of various historical figures including Captain E.J. Smith, (Bernard Hill) Bruce Ismay, (Jonathan Hyde) Thomas Andrews, (Victor Garber) Molly Brown (Kathy Bates) and many other men and women, who were very famous, to have walked through the Titanic with good enough screen time to know whose who through this gigantic ocean liner.
I first saw Titanic when I was eleven. I was pretty much wanting to know what was all the hype about, concerning this film. I found this film, at that age, spellbinding and riveting from the moment we enter into the past to the end of where the ship sank. Now, I look back and I am still visually impressed with Cameron's masterwork of bringing Titanic back to life. Shame that he destroyed it, but all in all, this is his most significant piece of work since Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
The acting, in the fictional sense, is clunky and way too much present day dialogue, but I don't think it's not that bad since DiCaprio and Winslet have shown themselves that their Jack and Rose characters have great chemistry. I can't say much about Zane, Fisher and Warner, because they play pretty much the stereotypical wealthy Americans and I didn't buy that at all. The non-fictional characters are beautifully crafted and all of them have their career-best performances, including Hyde as the coward Ismay and Hill as Captain Smith, who embodies the tragic horrors he faced with the passengers he sole wish to protect.
The visual effects, the costume and production design, cinematography and editing really is an excellent example of how Hollywood craftsmanship works and then some. It's gorgeously detailed with accuracy and clarity that I personally felt that I was actually on board with the cast and extras. Cameron proves that, not only his movies are spectacular, but his visuals are top-notch, especially when the ship splits in half. How rare is it that a movie that is 22 years old and it looks better than most heavy-handed CGI movies we have today? Easy! Just hire Cameron's own Digital Domain to bring your vision to life. Sure, Industrial Light & Magic is great, but Digital Domain is even better!
Before I end this review of Titanic, the score, which finally led him two Oscars, is James Horner's best since Braveheart. May you rest in peace, Mr. Horner and thank you for such beautiful music that inspired countless of composers we have today!
In conclusion, Titanic is one of the most visually developed movies ever made and a classic for all generations. It's no means a masterpiece, due to it's poor fictional character development and clunky dialogue. Watch this movie for the visual splendor of bringing the ship back to life, the costume and production design, cinematography, editing, music, breathtaking environments and more. Did this film deserve eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture? Yes and no. Yes, for the technical reasons and designers, but not so for Best Picture. In my opinion, Good Will Hunting or L.A. Confidential should have won for that category. This movie isn't overrated, it's a must-watch so you will call yourself the King (or Queen) of the World!

9/10