Average

Rating: Null/10 (29 November 1999)

I admit I enjoyed this film. The grandeur of it all was impressive. The fact that James Cameron let this film get to a 200 million dollar budget is also very impressive. However, once the grandeur is taken away there really isn't much left. The plot is a simple romance. And since the story is so predictable, it puts some heavy pressure on a three hour film.
The direction is superb. My distaste for this film doesn't extend to James Cameron's technical direction. His technical direction is on par with Spielberg's. However, his human/emotional part of that mix doesn't rate very well. The acting also is not consistent. I didn't find DiCaprio's performance bad, but his character seemed to be very easy to play and wasn't that complicated. Winslet, who's performance in Heavenly Creatures stunned me, is mainly okay here. The best performances belonged to Gloria Stuart and Kathy Bates.
The score also rates with the best, and the soundtrack is one I highly recommend.
In the end, I think this film is more comparable to "Cleopatra" than to "Gone With Wind". The budget and the problems making the film end up being more interesting and more entertaining than the film itself.
Did this film deserve best picture? No. But it's nomination was also like "Cleopatra's" nomination. The big budget and the absolute vastness of the film was enough.