Titanic review

Jack: I'm the king of the world!

Director: James Cameron
(1997)

When about to watch a film like Titanic, it’s easy to get a little caught up with the films impressive stature and overwhelmingly positive reception. 14 Oscar nominations, 11 wins (both of which are records), a 3d rerelease and 2.1 billion dollars at the box office, a record only recently broken by a certain other Cameron film. Such success often bears down heavily on a film, the weight of expectation the audience carries can be the key ingredient in a recipe for disappointment. Yet oddly, 15 years on and on my first proper viewing, Titanic holds up remarkably well.

However, Titanic isn’t a film that is instantly engaging. In fact, we don’t even begin in the correct time period. Instead we’re introduced to Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton) and his crew of deep sea explorers. Some strong underwater photography shows us the wreckage of the Titanic and through some drawn out scenes we learn of the priceless Heart of the Ocean, a rare diamond that Brocks employer wants to recover. This is all being broadcast on TV of course, piquing the interest of 101 year old Rose Dawson (Gloria Stuart). A few scenes later she’s aboard Brocks ship and recounts a story that astonishes all who hear it. Cameron chooses to tell the story of the unsinkable ship via a framed narrative which, while implausible, brings us to meat of the film, starting in 1912. This is where penniless artist Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) meets Rose Dewitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) and marks the start of the star crossed lover’s affair on such a fateful voyage.

There's no denying that Titanic is a film that's colossally expansive in scope, a vast challenge that Cameron doesn’t quite wrangle at times. The script is a gargantuan one, the ambitious groundwork to a film that's 3 hours and 14 minutes long. With the sinking of the Titanic Cameron had some impressive putty to mould something incredibly and emotionally moving, potential he squanders in favour of a cliché and predictable love story. When Rose asks Jack to “draw me like one of your French girls” it’s easy to snigger at how silly it sounds. This slack writing extends to the primary antagonist, Caledon Hockley (Billy Zane), the misogynistic, unloving fiancé to Rose. Much like the majority of the upper class characters present, he’s a snooty, stuck up arsehole that could only be more generically evil if he were stroking some dastardly facial hair. Jack isn’t much better, portrayed penniless and happy, a far cry from the miserable rich folk who judge him. When it comes to writing, Cameron gets so very little correct it’s a miracle how the film didn’t fall apart before shooting had even finished.

Despite its almost laborious running time, Cameron manages to get Titanic to work by making the romance between Jack and Rose believable, but this remains the limit of his success. While there is a certain degree of chemistry between them, we don’t feel for them in a way that's particularly engaging. Winslet and DiCaprio share a slight chemistry, but this doesn’t extend itself to bringing genuine emotion onto the audience when things begin to go pear shaped. The fact that our tragic lovers knew each other for mere days does question the plausibility of their bond, thankfully it doesn’t negate the effect of any of the couples more meaningful encounters which at times act as Cameron’s saving grace.

Titanic’s saving grace is its final 3^rd where Cameron shows us the true definition of filmmaking on an epic scale. The romance is cast aside, now acting as a backdrop to the tremendous special effects and burning intensity that create a perfect climax. From the scenes in the flooded lower decks to hundreds of extras scrambling for lifeboats, every scene feels incredibly impressive. While a hefty amount of CGI is used, the love for practical effects is wonderful, a factor that adds an essential element of realism to the horror. Even 15 years after release these scenes are impressive, a considerable feat when you take into account how technology has advanced over the years.

Despite its famous reputation, Titanic isn’t a tragically sad film, something that Cameron’s screenplay sees to. The acting is barely passable and the majority of characters are either unlikable or stereotypes, with the worst being both. But where these departments lack quality, a ferocious finale saves the day with grand scope and even grander direction, offering scenes that will never be forgotten.

8