The greatest thing made by the hands of man

Rating: 8/10 (19 August 1999)

Not only is "Titanic" the greatest film ever made, it is truly the greatest thing made by the hands of man. This comment is limited to 1,000 words - I would need a limitless page to explain why. But I will say this. The Titanic represented everything that the people of 1912 hoped that this century would be like. It represented the illusion that we had finally conquered nature. But we were wrong. When Billy Zane says, 'It is unsinkable - God himself could not sink this ship' - you can almost see, high above the clouds, God saying 'Oh yeah? We'll see about that!' "Titanic" - the movie - is not only a mesmerising, beautifully made, heart-wrenching, uncompromisingly realistic film, but it is a true meditation on not only mankind's progress through this century (which began at the end of the gilded age and is now finishing at the dawn of the digital age), and on the human condition itself. James Cameron, having established himself as the action maestro with "Aliens" and "T2", finally proved not only that he was willing to totally defy and redefine the auteur theory, to ignore the cynics and the unfathomable opinions of people who think that "A Night to Remember" is the definitive account of the disaster (calling planet earth, do you think that on a sinking ship without enough lifeboats for everyone, everything would be done in a smooth, cool, calm, orderly fashion? Eh?), and forget about codes, conventions and 'film theory', in order to make the film the way he saw fit, but that he is a human being. When Steven Spielberg made "Schindler's List" (in my opinion the #2 film of all time), it was a big break, considering among other things the fact that he had just finished "Jurassic Park", but he had made real human dramas before - "The Color Purple" and "Empire of the Sun". Cameron had shown that action movies could have real production values, but a true human drama was a totally new thing. The film HAD to be made before this century was out. I was only two when Cameron's big break - "The Terminator" was released, but I can imagine a lot of people thinking that this man would be the one to make THE Titanic movie (technology versus mankind, anyone?). As well as the powerful messages (more than you're likely to find in a state-of-the-art digital communication system), the film has unchallengably breathtaking grandeur, awe-inspiring beauty, an excellent cast, a moving storyline, and totally absorbing AND thought-provoking entertainment. When Cameron and fellow producer Jon Landau received the Best Picture Academy Award last year, the final moment was the moment Cameron had been building up to throughout his career. He summarised what the film meant to him, and spoke as human being, not as a Hollywood director, when he called for a moment's silence in honour of the 1,500 men, women and children who went down with the ship. By faithfully recreating the disaster and giving it mass appeal in uncountable ways, Cameron has made a document of the human condition, the 20th century and what it brought about, and social, moral and technological progress that will surely stand the test of time, and, maybe, one day, when those snobbish critics have a 'live life to the full, you never know when it could end' experience, will make them realise that "Citizen Kane" (excellent but overrated) is NOT the greatest film ever made. But then, we are all human beings, and we are all different, and the right to freedom of expression is a right we all should have - one of the film's many messages. Perfect freedom does not exist, but we can be free from oppression if we let other people and exterior forces work with us. In "Titanic", the ship in question represents Rose's gilded cage, and the limitations of her society, but, ultimately, it (she, sorry) becomes her means of salvation - both in that it/she brings her to Jack, and in that it/she sinks, therefore changing the lives of all the survivors. Dramatic license works its wonders in the scene when Jack and Rose go up on deck having just been 'doing it' in the car, Rose decides that she is going to forsake her money and her family and get off at New York with Jack, she kisses him, the lookouts look down and see them - but when they look ahead, what do they see? The rest is history. Although many critics were critical of this film, the fact that it is both the most popular AND the most honoured film of all time is a testimony to the value we place upon our freedom, and upon life itself. Not a day goes by when I don't think about the awesome wonder of that film, neither will I ever forget how it changed my life. Every time I watch it I notice something new. James Cameron is the greatest artist in the history of mankind. Dedication, passion and commitment were taken to new levels with "Titanic". I could go on forever, you know!