The heroine's journey monomyth made epic

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 2020)

This film is to teenage girls what the original Star Wars films are to teenage boys. It perfectly encapsulates the female monomyth - or the hero's journey - which is why it is such a classic and why it will always resonate through the ages. Other stories have tried to do a female monomyth, but Titanic nails it.
We know what happens to the Titanic, so the romance between Jack and Rose deserves special attention. Jack Dawson is to Rose what Obi-wan Kenobi was to Luke Skywalker: the mentor that taught you to be the hero you didn't think you could be.
What makes Titanic special from many other romance stories is that Jack doesn't rescue Rose from her predicament. Inspired by Jack, Rose begins the story as a damsel in distress but by the end of her story she is no helpless damsel. There are some lessons here for men too - if they're paying attention.
The special effects for the Titanic were second to none. The Titanic - like the Death Star in Star Wars, is not only gorgeous but hangs menacingly over the film. The filmography of it's sinking is terrifying and incredibly effective.
In many ways, the Titanic itself is a metaphor for our own lives. We all start on a wonderful adventure when we are born - but at one point in our lives we *will* hit that iceberg and sink. What do we do onboard in the days, months, and years leading up to this? Titanic goes out of it's way to clearly suggest that class and wealth mean nothing when we're all going over the edge of that ship - and then, in light of all this, what is truly important? This film gives us that resolution too.
For all these reasons - notwithstanding the music - the film is a masterpiece of cinema. Brilliant in sheer spectacle, deep thematically, emotionally moving, and will be forever timeless.
I only docked it one point for excessive run-time, some hokey dialogue, and some unnecessary swearing.