James Cameron's 1997 American epic, Titanic, is a romantic disaster movie which tells a fictitious tale amongst the fatal voyage of the RMS Titanic. It is something that is very hard for me to put into words. It's beautiful, it's breathtaking and it's grand. Upon its release the film achieved mass critical and commercial success. It was the the first film to reach the billion dollar mark; inevitability Titanic went on to receive 14 Oscar nominations. This is the current record for most number of Oscar nominations for a single film and at the time, Titanic shared the record with All About Eve (1950). Both films now also share it with Damien Chazelle's dazzling La La Land (2016). Cameron's movie won a staggering 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, tying with Ben-Hur (1959). Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) later joined the record for the most number of Oscar wins. It remained the highest grossing film of all time until Cameron's Avatar (2010) excelled Titanic's box office record.
In 1912 the winsome seventeen year old Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) aboards the Titanic with her wealthy fiancee Cal Hockley (Billy Zane). Meanwhile a pauper named Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) wins a ticket to the "unsinkable ship" with a lucky hand at poker. Rose's mother stresses the importance of her daughters marriage to Cal as he will resolve their financial state. Dejected due to the engagement, Rose considers suicide. Whilst Jack is stargazing on a bench he notices Rose run by; he intervenes, eventually persuading her not to jump off the boat. Cal and her mother soon arrive and grow wary of Jack. Despite the difference in class, Rose and Jack begin developing a close romantic relationship. On the forward deck the couple witness the ship hitting an iceberg, it begins to sink and everyone runs for the lifeboats. However, there is merely enough to cater for half the passengers. Cal and Jack persuade Rose to aboard a lifeboat so she can be saved but once it begins to be lowered she jumps back onto the ship. Jack and Rose run to clock tower where they collapse in an embrace, Jack repeats "you're so stupid Rose!" The couple agree to stick together until the end.
Both DiCaprio and Winslet are a delight on screen together. Both actors had already been awarded Oscar nominations - DiCaprio What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) and Winslet Sense and Sensibility (1995). Winslet received an Oscar nomination for this film also. Jack and Rose are certainly my favourite on screen romance as both actors play it so authentically. There is always a sentimentality to seeing Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet together both on screen and off due to this film. Their genuine friendship almost adds to the emotion as both actors cherish each other. Billy Zane is also brilliant with his witty remarks and bursts of anguish; specifically in the scene with Cal's table flip. This scene is improvised by Zane, therefore Winslet's reaction is natural. He is stern, snappy and chilling.
The film won Oscars for Best Costume and Production Design. The director's attention to detail is so admirable - reportedly, James Cameron personally spoke to individual members of the extras and provided names and back stories of Titanic passengers. Another example of the directors intricate style is his use of timing. The scenes set within 1912 have a total of two hours and forty minutes, the exact time it took for the Titanic to sink. Additionally, the collision with the iceberg lasted 37 seconds, according to various sources, which is how long the collusion scene lasts in the movie. The best part about this epic is the original score composed by James Horner. It's hard to imagine Cameron originally not wanting music over his film. This score conjures so much emotion and it will remain one of the greatest film scores ever created. It sparks hope, passion and tears. Southampton is exciting and hopeful, Rose - a melody of love and beauty as well as The Portrait remaining a beautiful piano love theme. Titanic won Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song.
Titanic identifies with numerous themes such as: class discrimination and society in general; perseverance, fate, freedom, history and the extent of love. When James Cameron originally pitched the movie he told producers it was to be "Romeo and Juliet on the Titanic" and that's exactly what it is. The final scene titled The Dream is so romantic. We witness a timeline of Rose's life told through photographs, showing all the things she did which Jack encouraged her to do. When she finally arrives back to the Titanic and is applauded by all the other lives that were lost the emotion is unbearable! When finally, Rose reunites with Jack you certainly need a box of tissues! The highest-grossing film ever to win the Best Picture Academy Award, to me, will always be one of the greatest and most important movies to come into my life.
