An Artificial Masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (29 August 2003)

When I first saw Titanic I was completely blown away. It was not what I had expected. I only saw it once in the cinema, and every viewing since then has been less rewarding. The film is by no means perfect. It is simplistic. It is shallow. But it is also extremely well crafted.
None of the performances are great, but this is probably because the actors had such weak dialogue to work with. What the film does best is awe the audience with powerful music and images. Its structure is very tight and clever, and for a three hour movie it doesn't drag. But as a film about an historical event, it is disappointing that the whole thing comes across as superficial and trite.
Even so, when I walked out of the cinema I remember being affected by what I had just seen. When I watch the film now it doesn't really do anything for me, but part of me wishes it would.