This Is Not A Wet Blanket.

Rating: Null/10 (13 October 2012)

One harsh film critic memorably called this film, in his opinion, "A wet blanket". In my personal opinion James Cameron's "Titanic" at the very least borders on a great film. A great love story is intertwined into the tragedy of this longish, but never boring, film. All in all it is not only an excellently entertaining film but probably both Kate Winslet & Leonardo DeCaprio's finest hour. Whether or not a rich high-society woman would be capable of falling in love with a poor steerage passenger, (who won the money to buy his ticket playing poker), in real life is debatable, but I was able to suspend my disbelief. Leonardo DeCaprio plays a young man called Jack Dawson who is an aspiring artist & is excellent. Although from a working-class background he is worldly-wise & has been around. He meets Rose DeWitt (Kate Winslet) after he saves her life when she attempts to commit suicide. She is intended (mainly at her mother's insistence) to marry a man named Cal Hockley played by Billy Zane. Rose doesn't really love him & things have started to get on top of her. Mr. Hockley is rich but such an upper-class scumbag that you cannot really blame Rose for contemplating topping herself!. The courtship on board the ship between Rose & Jack is great & often done to the haunting theme music in the background which adds to the romance. The cinematography by Russell Carpenter is absolutely beautiful & is probably the single best factor of the entire movie. The filming of the ship striking an iceberg & eventually sinking is particularly well done. My final comment concerns the closing credits as Celine Dion sings "My Heart Will Go On". Everybody, it seems, from the films smallest bit-player extras down to Mr. Cameron's tea lady gets a mention in the credits which really do go on & on & on! The number of people listed, but not credited, in the cast list is utterly astounding & I couldn't help wondering what, (if anything?), they were paid.