Titanic Movie: A Critical Appraisal on its 10th Anniversary

A movie that hit the screens ten years ago but one that is still making waves, here is a review that justifies why this movie made such a splash.

Information
Director: James Cameron
Producers: James Cameron and Jon Landau
Screenplay: James Cameron
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Gloria Stuart, Bill Paxton, Bernard Hill and David Warner.
Cinematography: Russell Carpenter
Music: James Horner.

Review
A movie that lets you step back in time, that is what Titanic has done for most people, let them step back decades in time. To a time where rustling ball gowns, corsets, loveless marriages, gambling and cockiness was the name of the game. Yes, this is what James Cameron, Director par excellence has portrayed in this brilliantly made movie. A captivating story, brilliant special effects and performance that deserved all the Oscar nominations it got. And lets not forget a never-before shot documentary especially for this movie.

Though in his previous movies like Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2 and True lies, Cameron has used special effects, none of them have been at par with that of Titanic. But the special effects are not what has made this movie legendary, it is the overall experience of this movie, the storyline, the cast, the performances, the sets…its all these things combined that have made this movie what it is. Call it a romance, an adventure or a thriller; Titanic has a bit of everything. Humor, tragedy, violence, enthusiasm, and the characters that appear larger than life yet they bring out emotions in us that are a kin to sympathy.

The movie doesn’t start in the early 1900, or to be precise in April of 1912. It starts in present day with a crew preparing to go on an expedition to look for the heart of the ocean. An old woman 101 years old to be precise hears of this expedition and comes to see this crew. She is Rose DeWitt Bukater and she tells them of her story on board the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic. This is when we first glimpse the Titanic in all her glory as it prepares to make its maiden voyage from Southampton. This is also when we get the first glimpse of the three central characters of the movie. Rose engaged to a man she doesn’t love because her mother is in some financial trouble. Cal, the cold and rich fiancé and Jack, poor and on his way across the continent with a ticket won out of poker. Three completely different people who are brought together through the strangest of circumstances. The movie carries on with Rose and Jack getting closer and ultimately falling in love, and then the worst happens, the unsinkable Titanic hits an iceberg and all hell breaks lose. James Cameron has cleverly mixed the ongoing romance between Jack and Rose with the sinking of the ship and its mayhem. This is the time when we are truly awed by the special effects of the movie and the superb images of the real-life documentary of the Titanic, footage that Cameron and his crew took themselves.

Cameron has also done a great job in picking the cast for this movie. I cannot imagine any one other than Leonardo DiCaprio in the role of Jack and a better actress than Kate Winslet for the role of Rose. Both fine actors with impressive work and both have fit into the roles of Jack and Rose perfectly. Billy Zane with his egotism and coldhearted attitude is the appropriate choice for the villain in this movie. Lets not forget performances by Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton, Frances Fisher, Bernard Hill and David Warner.

This more than three hour long movie has a niche that everyone can enjoy, whether you dig romance, thrillers or adventure, Titanic is a film that everyone above the age of 13 can enjoy (PG 13 movie).